Revan's War
by Jedi Master Karzon
Summary: The Mandalorian Wars have begun. The Republic is being beaten back constantly. Now though, Jedi Knight Revan Surik has come to their aid but will it be enough? AU
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Hello, ladies and gentlemen. This story is a way for me to show people that I'm still alive. As mentioned in my profile, my iPod has died and that contained all my notes and plans for my other stories. However, it gives me the chance to take a break from those stories. This is an AU version of the Mandalorian Wars. Any Mandalorian terms will be translated at the end of the chapter. I'll let you work out the changes yourselves…**

**Disclaimer: Knights of the Old Republic belongs to Bioware, including Revan. Star Wars belongs to Disney these days. Not to me. Although I am working to rectify that.**

**Coruscant, 287ATGS (After Third Great Schism)**

"But, Masters, as defenders of the peace, it is the duty of the Jedi to intervene. If we continue to do nothing then the galaxy and the Republic will never again place any faith in the Order," Revan Surik argued.

The recently Knighted Jedi stood in the centre of the Council Chambers of the Jedi Temple, dark brown eyes blazing with passion. His hands were clasped behind his back and his legs were roughly level with his shoulders. In any other situation, he would have been easy to mistake for a soldier.

"No. There is more to the Mandalorian invasion. We must be wary of the threat in the shadows," the diminutive Jedi Master Vandar Tokare chided.

"But not at the cost of ignoring the threat in plain view. Even if the Mandalorians are not the only threat, they are the current one. If there is something else, then surely we would require the Republics aid to deal with it. The Republic will be incapable of helping us if there is no more Republic. Unless we act, that is what will occur," Revan almost shouted.

"This is the Council's final word, Knight Surik. The Jedi Order will not be joining the Mandalorian Wars," the aging Vrook Lamar stated.

Revan's angular features contorted in anger.

"So be it. Consider this my resignation from the Jedi Order. Perhaps you will see sense one day but until such time, we have nothing more to say to each other," Revan growled.

He turned and swept out of the Chambers, black cloak and shoulder-length, black hair billowing behind him as he strode away. The Jedi Council sat in silent shock for almost three minutes while it sank in that one of their most promising students had apparently just left the Jedi Order.

"Do you think he was serious?" the white-haired Master Atris asked, shocked.

"I think… he may have been," Master Lonna Vash responded, equally shocked.

Whilst the Council discussed this new development, Revan strode through the Temple's corridors toward his room. He barely acknowledged those he passed, scowl marring his handsome features. Younglings and padawans alike darted out of his path as he stormed by. As he approached his room, Revan used the Force to enter the code on the keypad to unlock the door.

Five minutes after entering, Revan strode back out. Now clad in his father's old black and red Mandalorian armour with his cloak still draped around his shoulders, he closed the door and picked up his two duffle bags. As he approached the hangar where his fighter was docked, three people ran through the crowded corridor in an effort to catch him.

"REVAN! WAIT UP!" shouted the only male in the trio.

Revan turned and smiled slightly when he saw his three closest friends weaving through the crowd. When the man and two women reached him, they paused at his appearance.

"So its true? You're leaving?" the man asked.

Alek was the same age as Revan, both of them being thirty-one although Revan was a few months older. Alek was a tall man, standing at roughly two metres compared to Revan's one metre seventy-five. His head was bald, with black tattoos on top of head, and was clad in traditional Jedi robes. Revan considered Alek to be his brother and the reverse was true as well, having met when Revan first arrived at the Dantooine Enclave for training.

Revan only nodded in response to his friend's question.

"Why? Why are you leaving?" one of the woman asked.

Revan looked at her. Meetra Surik was his sister, younger by three years but despite this, the two were extremely close. She was widely seen as being very beautiful as well as a skilled Jedi. She stood a few centimetres shorter than Revan with almost identical features, with the two often having been mistaken for twins. She was dressed in the same black and dark grey version of the Jedi robes that Revan had worn for his meeting with Council.

"Despite everything, the Council still refuses to join the war. I just can't take it anymore. I have to do something about, with or without the Council's permission. I'm going to go offer my services to the Republic, do what I can in the war," Revan told them.

"Give me a minute, I'll get my things," Alek said, turning to go before Revan grabbed his arm.

"You have always followed me, Alek, and I thank you for it. Not this time though. This is my path. Not yours. We will see each other again, old friend, don't worry about that," Revan told the taller man, releasing his arm.

"I don't want you to go," the other woman cried, wrapping her arms around Revan and sobbing into his shoulder.

Revan patted her on the back. Bastila Shan's watery, grey eyes looked up at him, begging him to stay. The seventeen year old had her brown hair tied into two pigtails and was clad in training clothes, obviously having been in the middle of a workout. Revan had been sent with his master, Kreia, to retrieve her from Talravin and she had become another sibling to him.

"I have to, Bas. Don't worry, I'll be fine. You be good and make sure to keep Alek in line because I can't anymore," Revan remarked, eliciting a chuckle from the others.

They talked the rest of the way to the hangar. As Revan placed his bags in the storage compartment, Bastila's comlink went off. After a hurried conversation with the person at the other end and an even more hurried goodbye to Revan, Bastila ran out of the hangar.

Revan stood opposite his friend and his sister. Eventually, Alek took the initiative.

"Well then, Revan, I guess this is it. It's been great," Alek told his friend, stepping forward.

"Indeed it has, my friend. Keep an eye on the girls for me, would you?" Revan requested, stepping forward and hugging his friend.

"Of course. I'll even keep two eyes on them whenever I can spare them," Alek agreed, struggling to hold back tears.

"Thank you, Alek, for everything," Revan said, also on the verge off tears.

"Good luck out there, Revan. May the Force be with you," Alek said in farewell, with a slight bow.

"And also with you, Alek. And don't you dare let me down," Revan joked.

"Wouldn't dream of it, Revan. Goodbye, my friend," Alek said as he turned to leave.

Once Alek had left, Revan turned to his sister. The look she was giving him almost made him change his mind.

"Well, I guess this is it then," Meetra said coldly.

"Meetra, don't," Revan sighed.

"What? You said you would always be there for me. How do you plan to do that now, _brother_?" the woman snarled.

"That's not fair. I'm doing what I have to. Father always told us to do what we felt we had to," Revan pointed out, calmly.

"I'm pretty sure father wasn't meaning for either of us to fight against our people though," Meetra shouted at him.

"No, I'm sure he didn't. However, he would appreciate that I was standing by my beliefs, just as you are. I don't need you to agree with me, Meetra, just accept that this is what I need to do," Revan pleaded.

"I know. I just wish you didn't," Meetra said, seeming to deflate along with her temper.

Revan stepped forward and enveloped her in his arms as she started to cry.

"This is how it has to be, sis. I'm sorry, I truly am. But I'm sure you'll cope. We'll see each other again. I have seen this much in the Force. I do not know when or where but we will meet again, Meetra. But until then, this is goodbye," Revan told her, disentangling himself from her arms.

"Ret'urcye mhi, ner vod. Good luck and ni kar'tayl gar darasuum," Meetra told him as he climbed into his fighter.

"Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum, ner vod. Ret'urcye mhi," Revan said as the cockpit closed.

Meetra stood in the hangar, tears streaming down her face as the fighter took off. Only once the _Aurek_-class fighter had disappeared from sight did the Jedi turn and leave the hangar.

**Translations**

Ret'urcye mhi - Goodbye; Literally: "Maybe we'll meet again"

Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum - "I love you."

Ner vod - "my brother/sister"; colloquially also "my friend"


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Here's chapter two, ladies and gentlemen. Last chapter was really just to set everything up so I felt that wasn't really enough. This chapter will depict Revan joining the Republic forces and his first battle. Sorry about any mistakes, they are purely for the sake of the story and I am, for the most part, aware of them. Also, I've put up a poll on my profile about whether Meetra Surik and Alek should join in at some point. Feel free to voice your opinions.  
**

**Disclaimer: Knights of the Old Republic belongs to Bioware, including Revan. Star Wars belongs to Disney these days. Not to me. Although I am working to rectify that.**

**Coruscant, 287ATGS**

Revan guided his fighter through the skylanes of Coruscant toward one of the Republic bases. As he flew among the skycars, darting in amongst them at high speed, Revan thought of what he had just done. After the death of their parents, Revan and Meetra Surik had been taken to Dantooine for Jedi training. At the time, Revan had been nine and Meetra had been six. Their Mandalorian father had already taught them the basics of Mandalorian life and combat. They had continued to learn the Mandalorian ways even as they trained to become Jedi. It was all they had known for the last twenty-two years.

And he had just walked out on that life.

He shook his head in slight amusement at the way his life had just been changed as he sent the fighter out of the skylane and in the direction of the Republic Navy Command Centre, known as Aurek Base.

"_Unidentified fighter, this is Aurek Base Control. Identify yourself,_" a man's voice ordered over the communicator.

"This is Revan Surik, former Jedi Knight. I wish to speak with the ranking officer, if possible," Revan responded.

"_Understood. Proceed to landing pad 27-Dorn. You'll be escorted from there," _came the order before the line was cut.

Revan guided the fighter down onto the designated landing pad where a trio of Republic soldiers were waiting for him. He climbed out of his fighter and walked toward them.

"Revan Surik? Sergeant Kathnan. If you'd follow me," the lead soldier said whilst turning toward the door.

Revan fell into step behind the lead soldier while the other two followed a few steps behind Revan. They walked along numerous corridors, passing through a number of security checkpoints. Eventually they reached a very heavy looking door. The soldiers stopped and the leader indicated for Revan to go in. Revan stepped in and was shocked to find himself looking at the majority of the military leaders of the Republic, the group known as High Command. Some where there in person whilst others were present in the form of holograms.

"Knight Surik I presume. It is a pleasure to meet you. I'm Supreme Commander Tarrick," the bothan directly opposite Revan said.

"The pleasure is all mine. However, I must correct you. I am no longer a Jedi. In protest of the Council's refusal to act, I resigned from the Order. If you'll have me, I am here to volunteer my services for the defence of the Republic," Revan informed them.

"I see. Well then, we will need to find a place for you within the military. Speak with me after this meeting and we'll discuss it. For now, please join us. I'm sure you're input will prove highly valuable," Tarrick said.

A few of the other officers looked sceptical at the thought that such a young man, even an ex-Jedi, would be able to contribute anything useful. However, they wisely held their peace, allowing the meeting to proceed.

**Cauldron Nebula, 287ATGS**

Revan stood on the bridge of the _Indomitable_, one of the iconic _Hammerhead_-class cruisers employed by the Republic Navy. During the meeting with the military leaders of the Republic, Revan had come to the conclusion that the Mandalorians would strike at the medical station in the Cauldron Nebula. Once he explained his logic to High Command, they had agreed and dispatched a task force under Admiral Forn Dodonna to protect the station. Revan had been given the rank of Captain and assigned the _Indomitable_ for the coming battle. He was now wearing a Republic Navy uniform, with the Captain's insignia displayed upon his chest.

"_All ships, this is Admiral Dodonna. Mandalorian ships have been detected in hyperspace. Prepare to engage,_" Dodonna ordered over the fleet wide communication link.

The three _Hammerhead_s, five _Praetorian_-class frigates and seven _Foray_-class blockade runners of the task force activated their shields and readied their weapons. The fifteen ships disgorged the entirety of their fighter squadrons and moved into combat formation. After a few moments of waiting, a pair of _Kandosii_-type dreadnaughts, six _Kyramud_-type battleships and sixteen _Jehavey'ir_-type assault ships appeared in front of the Republic ships.

"Dammit! No way we can fight that many ships!" exclaimed one of the ensigns on the bridge.

"We can and we will, soldier. And I damn well intend to make sure we win as well," Revan retorted.

"Yessir. Sorry, sir," the ensign said.

"Good. Target the lead assault ship with our main guns. Target the one directly to its port with twelve of our missiles," Revan ordered.

The almost 1,200m long _Indomitable_ shuddered slightly as the eight bow-mounted turbolasers opened fire while twelve missiles streaked toward the enemy. The lasers impacted their target, dispersing harmlessly on the assault ship's shields. The missiles reached their target moments later to similar results, although five of the missiles were shot down by the ship's point-defence system. The _Indomitable_ shook and her shields flared as the return fire impacted.

As the two fleets continued exchange fire, Revan examined the battlefield. As one of the Republic's blockade runner's exploded, Revan came to the conclusion that, for the Republic to stand any chance, the two dreadnaughts had to go.

"Haar'chak! Get me a line to the Admiral! I need a word!" Revan ordered.

A moment later, Dodonna's hologram appeared in front of him.

"What is it, Captain Surik? I'm a little busy," Dodonna grunted as the _Indomitable_ shook under another volley of turbolasers.

"I know, ma'am. However, I have a plan to take care of the dreadnaughts. It will require me to break formation though," Revan informed his commanding officer.

"I don't have much to work with, so permission granted I suppose. I hope whatever you're planning works, Surik. Dodonna, out," the Admiral said before her hologram winked out.

"Load all missile tubes! Ready all broadside cannons! Prepare for micro-jump!" Surik ordered as he provided the navigator with the point he wanted to jump to.

"Sir, that will put us right between the dreadnaughts!" the navigator shouted in shock and horror.

"I know! Get ready to fire all broadside weapons! I don't care if we redline every kriffin' system in the ship and use up all our missiles, we're running between the dreadnaughts, guns blazing!" Revan bellowed

The determination in his voice motivated the crew, at least enough to go along with it. A moment later, the _Indomitable_ disappeared into hyperspace for a second before reappearing in between the bows of the two Mandalorian dreadnaughts, much to their shock. As the _Indomitable_'s engines accelerated her between the two three-kilometre ships, the cruiser's broadside turbolasers, point-defence cannons and missiles fired at the dreadnaughts. In the twenty seconds it took the _Indomitable_ to reach the other end of the dreadnaughts, she tore down their shields and riddled their hulls with holes. The rest of the Republic fleet to advantage of the opening and fired on the now-shieldless dreadnaughts, tearing them apart.

The _Indomitable_ spun around, bringing her bow guns to bear on the unshielded engines of one of the battleships. With a single volley, the targeted battleship's engines exploded, followed by the rest of it. The Mandalorian ships found themselves suddenly having to redirect their shields to their engines again, weakening their shields overall. Six missiles streaked into the engines of one of the other battleships before its shields could cover them, sending it to a similar fate as its fellow.

The now-weakened shields of the Mandalorian ships allowed the Republic vessels to tear three of the assault ships apart under concentrated fire. Revan smirked as the _Indomitable_ continued to harass the Mandalorians' rear.

"Captain! One of the battleships is turning to engage us! If they turn their full firepower on us, we're done for!" the sensor officer shouted to Revan.

Revan frowned as he watched one of the _Kyramud_s turn toward them. Then it came to him.

"Our fighters are still out there, right?" he asked.

"Yes sir. We had to leave them when we jumped here. Most of them have made it back but Cresh Squadron is still on the way, why?" the fighters' handler asked.

"Send Cresh Squadron new orders. They're to take out the bridge on that battleship," Revan ordered.

"But, Captain, they won't be able to pierce the shields," one of the other officers objected.

"So they have to fly under the shields. They should be able to, correct?" the Captain suggested.

"Yessir. Relaying orders now," the fighters' handler reported.

Revan's smirk returned when a minute later there was an explosion on the Mandalorian battleship and the once-mighty warship started drifting.

"All guns, fire! Destroy that battleship!" Revan ordered.

The bridge crew cheered as the battleship exploded under fire from the _Indomitable_. The cruiser then realigned herself to aid one of the frigates in disposing of one of the last assault ships. The final battleship fell to the combined fire of the remaining Republic.

"Final scores are in, ladies and gentlemen. Two dreadnaughts, six battleships and sixteen assault ships down on the side of the Mandalorians. One cruiser, three frigates and four blockade runners down for the Republic. I'd say we win," Revan remarked over the ship's intercom, eliciting cheers from the crew.

"Captain, Admiral Dodonna on the line for you," the communications officer reported, having to shout to be heard over the cheering.

A moment later, Dodonna's hologram appeared in front of Revan.

"Captain Surik, that was extremely dangerous, risky and thoughtless. When you said you needed to break formation, I did not expect that," Dodonna chided.

"With all due respect, no one did. That's what allowed it to work. If they were ready for it, we would probably be having this discussion in the afterlife," Revan retorted.

"Indeed. I have to admit, it was a genius move. I wouldn't be surprised if others started using it soon. Although, as you say, the Mandalorians would come to expect it and so reduce its effectiveness," the Admiral commented.

"Thank you, ma'am," Revan responded.

"Either way, we're done here. I'll contact the rest of High Command and inquire as to our next course of action. Good work, Captain Surik. Dodonna, out," the Admiral finished before her hologram vanished.

"Well done, everyone. Drinks are on me for the next twenty-four hours," Revan said over the intercom before he went and sat down in the command chair, exhausted.

**Translations**

Haar'chak - "Damn it!"


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Hello again, people. Now, as I mentioned on my profile, my father has resurrected my iPod. There was a rather large amount of dirt and dust apparently. So I may do more for my other stories. However, for now, I'm just going to work on this story. I just need a bit of a break from the other two. Also, I would like to point out that I am aware that a **_**Hammerhead**_**-class cruiser is only 315m long. 1,200m just sounded more appropriate so I changed it. Now, on with the story.**

**Disclaimer: Knights of the Old Republic belongs to Bioware, including Revan. Star Wars belongs to Disney these days. Not to me. Although I am working to rectify that.**

**Coruscant, 288ATGS**

Revan stood at attention in front of High Command as they briefed him on his new mission. In the four months since Revan had quit the Jedi Order and joined the Republic Navy, he had proven himself one of the most reliable and skilled officers in the Navy. Many people thought he was set to become an Admiral within a few years. He had become something akin to a legend in the Republic, especially after his most recent encounter at the Christoph System where the _Indomitable_, en route to the shipyards for some much needed repairs, had singlehandedly defeated a force consisting of a Mandalorian battleship and three assault ships through use of the asteroid belt known as the Halo.

"The planet in question, Teth, is located in the Teth system. It's on the edge of Wild Space and rather unknown. However, Republic Intelligence believes the Mandalorians have a rather major base there. We want to know if this is true, Captain. Hence, the _Indomitable_ will being scouting the system. If you find them, leave the system and contact Admiral Dodonna and she'll organise a fleet. Understood?" Tarrick asked.

"Perfectly, sir. What's our ROE?" Revan asked.

"Avoid combat if possible. If Intelligence is correct, there are likely to be far more ships than the _Indomitable_ can deal with. If you get engaged, try to retreat. Otherwise, I'll leave the decision up to you. All available intel on the system and planet are on a datapad at the security desk outside," Tarrick ordered.

"Understood, Supreme Commander. I'll depart at once," Revan stated.

With a salute, Revan turned and left the room. He strode through the corridors of Aurek Base toward the dropship he rode down in. He paused to collect the relevant datapad from the security personnel outside the room before continuing. Once he was seated in his dropship on the way back up to the _Indomitable_ in orbit, he looked over the data on the system.

Within minutes of the dropship landing in the hangar, the _Indomitable_ turned toward open space. With a flicker of pseudomotion, the _Hammerhead_-class cruiser disappeared from the Coruscant system.

**Hyperspace, 288ATGS**

"Stand by. Exiting hyperspace in one minute," the navigations officer called from his station.

The bridge of the _Indomitable_ was near silent as the cruiser approached the Teth system. Revan stood in the centre of the bridge, feet level with his shoulders and hands clasped behind his back as he looked out of the large window at the front of the bridge.

"Exiting hyperspace in 5… 4… 3… 2… 1… Exiting hyperspace," the navigations officer reported as he pulled the lever to bring the ship back into realspace.

The blue of hyperspace reverted to glowing streaks before they turned into stars. The _Indomitable _shook as weapons fire impacted on her deflector shields.

"Sir, we're surrounded!" the sensor officer shouted.

Outside the window, one dreadnaught, three battleships and a dozen assault ships floated between the _Indomitable_ and the planet Teth. The _Indomitable_ shook again as another volley collided with the shields. Revan looked at the holographic representation of the system and saw that the sensor officer's assessment was accurate.

In addition to the Mandalorian vessels in front of them, four dreadnaughts, seventeen battleships and roughly fifty assault ships sat on all sides of the Republic cruiser.

"Captain, we have to retreat! We can't accomplish anything!" Commander Aerin Frenso, Revan's XO, shouted as she gripped the side of the holotable as the cruiser shook again.

"We can't. Those spheres are creating an interdiction field. We can't escape," Revan noted.

"But then…" Frenso started to speak before Revan interrupted her.

"Or is there? Helm, plot a course toward the planet! Communications, get me a line to Admiral Dodonna, now!" Revan ordered.

The cruiser accelerated toward the planet, causing the Mandalorian ships to swerve out of her path. As she moved toward the planet, a static filled hologram of Admiral Forn Dodonna appeared on the bridge.

"Admiral! This is Captain Surik of the _Indomitable_! The _Indomitable_ is in critical condition and is going to crash on Teth! Gather as many ships as possible, there are almost ninety Mandalorian ships! I repeat, ninety Mandalorian ships are present in the Teth system!" Revan told the Admiral.

"Copy -at, Cap- Surik. Ni-ty Ma-dal- ships. Will arr- as soo- as poss-le," Dodonna responded, voice laced with static before her hologram vanished.

"We've lost our communications array," one of the officers on the bridge reported, panicked.

"We've lost one of our engines!" another shouted.

"All hands, this is Captain Surik! Brace for impact! I repeat, brace for impact! We're going down! Prepare to evacuate!" Revan shouted into the intercom.

"Sir, if we launch escape pods they'll be shot down!" Frenso shouted.

"I know! That's why we're not using escape pods! Launch them! Launch all escape pods! We're going down with the ship!" Revan ordered.

"WHAT?!" shouted the majority of the bridge crew.

"You heard me! If they think we're in the escape pods they're likely to ignore the ship! We crash the ship on the planet and wait for Dodonna!" Revan explained.

As the cruiser raced toward the planet, shaking under the fire from the Mandalorian fleet, numerous streaks raced from the doomed vessel. Just as Revan had predicted, the Mandalorian fleet broke off their pursuit of the cruiser and started firing on the escape pods. The twelve-hundred metre warship started falling into the atmosphere, flames licking at her armour. Unnoticed by the Mandalorians in orbit and on the planet, the manoeuvring thrusters engaged, turning the ship so that it would, in essence, belly flop onto the surface of the planet.

The impact of the ship caused a huge shockwave, flattening trees nearly a kilometre away from the crash. Once the cruiser slid to a stop, Revan picked himself up off the floor of the bridge. With a groan, Frenso staggered to her feet as the bridge crew started groaning and complaining.

"Sitrep!" Revan ordered.

"Some weapons are still functional. We might be able to hold here a while," one officer reported.

"Everything flight related is fried. We've not even got manoeuvring thrusters anymore," the navigations officer sighed.

"We have almost thirty injured and ten confirmed dead. Six are unaccounted for," an officer reported.

"Our reactor's in critical condition. In theory, it could blow at the slightest provocation," one of the ensigns informed the Captain.

"All right. Send out a ship-wide notification. We're abandoning the _Indomitable_. Gather everything we can. Weapons, food, drink, medical supplies. Everything we need to survive here. Everyone is to convene on the port side of the ship in one hour," Revan ordered.

The next hour consisted of the crew scurrying around the ship, collecting all the supplies they could. When Revan stepped out of the ship after an hour, it was to find the entire crew waiting with everything they could find.

"What have we got?" Revan asked as he approached the heads of each section of the ship.

"We've got enough guns and armour to equip the whole crew. We've also got enough ammunition to last us maybe three months at least. All of our vehicles are still useable so we're using them to help carry supplies and wounded," the commanding officer of the _Indomitable_'s ground forces told the Captain.

"We've got enough spare parts to keep the vehicles running for three months or so as well. We've also got a field holotable, a short-range transmitter/receiver (although the transmitter bit was broken in the crash), a few hundred lights and some spare armour plates," added the head engineer.

"We've got all the medical supplies and medical tools plus quite a bit of the equipment. We've also got a pair of portable bacta tanks," the head of the medical division reported.

"We've also retrieved all the food and drink from the ship. That should last us about two months," Frenso added.

"Excellent. Admiral Dodonna should get here before we run out of supplies. I estimate she'll be a few weeks, at most. For now though, we need somewhere to stay. Any ideas?" Revan asked, looking around.

"Some of the scouts I sent out noticed a mesa a few kilometres away. Apparently it has a B'omarr Monastery on top that seems abandoned. We could check that out," the ground commander suggested.

"Good plan. How far is it?" Revan asked.

"About five or six kilometres away, due north. You can just see it from over there."

"Excellent. That would put us outside the blast range in case the ship's reactor explodes, correct?" Revan asked.

"Indeed. Well outside it," confirmed the chief engineer.

"Brilliant. Let's get going. We don't want to be here when the Mandalorians show up," Revan commented.

After an hour and a half of travelling through the jungle, the crew of the _Indomitable_ found a wide path up the side of the mesa. Upon reaching the top, they moved the vehicles into the courtyard to keep them out of view from the outside. They set up a base inside the monastery, with sleeping areas, a mess hall, a medical room and a command centre being the first.

An hour after they reached the monastery, Revan was standing at the edge of the mesa. Using a pair of electrobinoculars, Revan watched as the Mandalorians moved into the crashed remnants of the _Indomitable_. Once they were all in, Revan pulled out his datapad. Inputting a code, he tapped an option on the screen. A moment later, the wreckage of the _Indomitable_ exploded as the reactor went critical.

For the next week and a half, the crew of the _Indomitable_ remained in their temporary base within the monastery. On the eleventh day of their stay, an ensign informed Revan that one of the engineers working on the comm. wanted to speak with him. When he walked in, the tech turned to speak to him.

"This came in a minute ago on one of the encrypted channels we've been monitoring," the tech said before pressing a button.

"_All ships, this is Admiral Dodonna. Fire at will_," came a voice over the speakers.

"Good work, ensign. Let me know of any developments. I need to speak with the department heads," Revan told him before he left.

In the command centre, Revan stood around the holotable with the department heads.

"About time the Admiral got here. I want to get back to the frontlines and back in a fighter," the commanding officer of the fighter squadrons.

"The problem is, the Mandalorians' base is a fortress. Their anti-air defence grid is impenetrable from what I can tell and will be able to shoot down anything within two kilometres. By the time a force has landed at that distance, the Mandalorians will have time to maximise their defences at that point. It'll be a massacre either way," the ground commander pointed out.

"So we do something about the AA guns," Revan stated.

"But sir, with what we've got, we can't challenge that base."

"We don't have to. We time it right and all we need to do is create a gap for Dodonna's forces, who will then reinforce us," Revan explained.

"Sound plan, Captain. I'll ready my soldiers," the ground commander agreed.

"Commander Frenso, you're in command of the base. I will be accompanying the attacking force," Revan said as he walked out of the room.

Within two hours, Revan's forces had positioned themselves at various points amongst the trees around the base. Now, they were waiting for the signal to attack.

"Captain, Republic dropships are starting to enter the atmosphere," Frenso informed him over the comm.

"Copy that. All forces, this is Captain Surik. Engage, repeat, engage," Revan ordered.

Numerous rockets streaked through the air toward the AA batteries followed by blasts from the tank cannons scattering the Mandalorians and taking out some of the batteries. The targeted batteries, irrelevant of which kind of ammunition hit them, exploded instantly, sending shrapnel flying.

With a cry, the Republic soldiers ran out from among the trees, firing on the unprepared Mandalorians. They had expected the attack to come from above before it came from among the trees and so were caught completely off guard. The fire from the Republic soldiers cut down large numbers of the Mandalorians in moments. Then Revan closed the gap.

Meanwhile, in orbit, Dodonna stood over a map of the system, monitoring her fleet's movements. The almost two hundred strong fleet had been cut in half during the battle against the Mandalorian ships. Now, all Dodonna needed to do was monitor the system and keep an eye on the ground battle. As she was contemplating her next move, an ensign ran up to her.

"Admiral. There's something you need to see."

With a nod from the Admiral, the ensign adjusted something on the holotable. It now displayed live footage from one of the dropships above the Mandalorian base on the surface.

"Look over here," the ensign told her, zooming in on one of the courtyards where the worst of the fighting was occurring.

Dodonna walked around the table to see what he was pointing at. When she saw what he meant, the usually composed Admiral felt her jaw drop.

In the heart of the battle, dancing amongst the Mandalorian lines, was a figure clad in black and red Mandalorian armour, black cloak swirling around him. A violet lightsaber spun in his right hand, tearing through Mandalorians like a hot knife through butter. Mandalorians were falling all around the man, despite their best efforts. As Dodonna watched, a group of Mandalorians were launched off their feet and into a wall at such speed that it would have crushed a speeder. Another Mandalorian was pulled toward the figure as though by a string, only to fly straight into the whirling violet blade.

A basilisk war droid moved in, firing dozens of blaster bolts and a handful of homing rockets at the figure. Moving at impossible speeds, the figure darted out of the path of the blaster bolts before holding out his left hand. The rockets redirected their course, smashing into one of the remaining AA guns in the area. With his arm still outstretched, the figure clenched his hand into a fist. To the shock of Dodonna, as he did so, the feared war machine before him seemed to collapse in on itself, soon looking like a scrunched up ball of flimsi. Concurrent with a flick of the figure's wrist, the crushed basilisk flew into an approaching group of Mandalorian soldiers.

"That's very interesting…" Dodonna finally commented.

Revan was oblivious to Admiral Dodonna's observation as he swung his violet blade, deflecting a number of blaster bolts harmlessly away from himself. Raising his left hand, he lifted a group of Mandalorians into the air before. He then turned his hand over and flattened it as he brought it down, smashing the Mandalorians into the ground with enough force to create small craters at each impact site. All the while, the violet blade never ceased its motion, sending blaster bolts ricocheting away from the former Jedi.

As another basilisk approached, firing on him with its chin mounted blaster cannons, Revan used the Force to speed himself up. Using this speed, Revan raced across the courtyard, permacrete shattering behind him as the basilisk attempted to shoot him. Reaching the nearest building, Revan raced up the side eventually running parallel to the ground. As he neared the still firing war droid, Revan used the Force to launch himself toward it. Landing on top of the basilisk, he delivered a Force-enhanced kick to the rider, sending the armoured man flying off the droid with a huge dent in his chest armour and a crushed ribcage. As the droid seemed to howl in anger at its rider's demise, it swung one of its massive clawed arms at the ex-Jedi on its back. Revan leapt up, out of its path, before coming down to land on the arm itself. As it swung its arm up to throw him off, Revan launched himself into the air. Time seemed to slow as most of the nearby combatants seemed to look toward the still howling basilisk. As they watched, time seemed to return to normal as Revan came down again, saber outstretched and cloak billowing behind him. As he passed it, the violet blade of plasma cut clean through the basilisk's midsection.

Revan landed in a crouch, cloak spread out behind him and saber stretched out to his right, head bowed. With a jerk, he raised his head. Despite the fact that none could see it, all looking at him then swore that he was smirking. In an instant, he was gone. Before anyone had a chance to react, a black, red and glowing violet blur had crossed the courtyard. As Revan skidded to a stop on the other side of the courtyard, cloak still billowing, saber held slightly behind him and left arm held a few centimetres in front of his chest, every Mandalorian he had passed fell over, lightsaber slashes present on all of them. Revan turned toward the remaining Mandalorians in the courtyard. He then spoke, one quiet word that seemed to carry across the entire battlefield despite its lack of volume and caused more fear in the Mandalorians than the entire Republic Navy could have.

"Run."

When Revan arrived on Dodonna's flagship in orbit after the battle, he was led to the bridge by an ensign where Dodonna awaited him. Still clad in his armour and cloak, Revan cut an imposing figure as he strode through the ship. As he walked onto the bridge, he removed the mask and pulled his hood down. Miraculously (to everyone else, he knew he'd used the Force), the hood had stayed up for the entire battle, despite some of his acrobatics. Once he reached the holotable which Dodonna currently leaned over, he snapped to attention. After a moment, Admiral Dodonna turned to face him.

"Captain Surik. Well done on keeping the majority of your crew alive. Thank you, as well, for your assistance with the AA guns," Dodonna began.

"Just doing our duty, Admiral," Revan argued.

"I wish everyone had your view of what their duty was, Surik. You and your crew performed admirably. I intend to see that all of you, even those killed in action, receive the Silver Crescent for your actions," Dodonna told him.

"It would be an honour, ma'am," Revan said with a slight bow.

"However, that is not why I wanted to speak with you, Captain. You displayed great personal skill on the battlefield. I have to admit; I have never seen anything like it. I have spoken with High Command and shown them some of the footage of the battle and your actions. It was a unanimous decision. Congratulations, Rear Admiral Surik," Dodonna concluded, holding out the box containing Revan's new insignia.

Revan could only stare at the presented insignia in shock.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Hello again, ladies and gentlemen. It's amazing what boredom can do for story writing. I am rather bored at the moment and so I'm writing lots for this story. ****Don't expect this trend to continue. I don't know if I'll even be able to upload a chapter a day for the rest of the week, never mind two.** Now, before anyone complains, it wasn't just Revan's little display of awesomeness that caused him to become a Rear Admiral, it was that on top of everything else he'd done. Huttese will be italicised. Mando'a will be bold for this chapter.

**Disclaimer: Knights of the Old Republic belongs to Bioware, including Revan. Star Wars belongs to Disney these days. Not to me. Although I am working to rectify that.**

_**Dauntless**_**, 288ATGS**

The _Dauntless_ drifted in orbit of Coruscant. After Revan Surik's promotion to Rear Admiral a week before, the _Hammerhead_-class cruiser in question had been assigned to him fresh out of the shipyards. Two _Praetorian_-class frigates and six _Foray_-class blockade runners floated in formation around her. The commanding officer of this taskforce was currently stood on the bridge, receiving their orders from the Supreme Commander.

"The Senate seems to rely on the Jedi far too much if you ask me. This Jedi has managed to go and get themselves into trouble with one of the Hutts, Falor Desilijic Tiure. It's nothing major but it is enough to require a small show of force to make sure the Hutts don't make a habit of forgetting just who they're dealing with," Tarrick sneered.

"I couldn't agree more. So you want me to get the Jedi out of there and bring them back to Coruscant?" Revan asked.

"Exactly. I'm sorry I can't give you more information but this is all I've been told. Good luck, Rear Admiral Surik," Tarrick concluded.

After an exchange of salutes, the Supreme Commander's hologram vanished.

"Set course for Nal Hutta. Time to go save a Jedi," Revan commented.

Moments later, the nine warships flickered with pseudomotion as they vanished into hyperspace. When they arrived at Nal Hutta, they received a call from the planet.

"_What do you want here, Republics?_" came a gruff voice in Huttese.

"One of the Jedi is currently in the custody of the Falor Desilijic Tiure. We are here to bring the Jedi back to Coruscant," Revan stated.

"_There is no Jedi on Nal Hutta, fool. You should go now,_" the voice responded.

"We can do this the easy way or the hard way. The easy way involves you getting me a line to Falor Desilijic Tiure and us talking. The hard way involves us coming down to Nal Hutta to retrieve the Jedi by force," Revan threatened.

"_One moment,_" the voice said after a moment.

As the line went dead, Revan watched his small fleet floating over Nal Hutta. None of the other vessels nearby would stand a chance against the group if it came to a battle unless they attacked en masse. After a minute, the line opened again.

"_You dare threaten the mighty Falor Desilijic Tiure?_" came the deep voice of the Hutt in question.

"I am like my kin, Hutt. I don't make threats, I make promises. You can either hand over the Jedi and we leave on peaceful terms or we will come down and retrieve the Jedi by force," Revan warned.

"_How dare you threaten me? Who do you think you are?_" the Hutt roared.

"I am Rear Admiral Revan Surik, former Captain of the Indomitable, Dark Knight of the Republic and Hero of Christoph," Revan retorted, using some of the titles the media had given him.

"_W-W-What? My deepest apologies, Rear Admiral. I-I-I was merely joking. I shall send the Jedi up in a shuttle i-im-immediately,"_ the Hutt stuttered in fear.

"Good. I expect the Jedi on my ship within ten minutes, Falor. It has been a pleasure doing business with you," Revan informed the Hutt before disconnecting.

"Well done putting the arrogant bastard in his place, sir. He sounds like he needed to be slapped down," Frenso chuckled.

"Indeed. Notify me the moment the Jedi's shuttle approaches; I'll be in my office. You have the bridge, Captain Frenso" Revan told her before he left the bridge at her acknowledgement.

Revan sat down in his office and raked a hand through his hair. This was going to be the first time he was in close proximity to a Jedi since he left the Jedi Order. It would be an interesting experience for certain. As Revan sat in his office, he felt the Force bond he shared with his sister flare. No, can't be, Revan thought in shock.

"Rear Admiral, the shuttle is approaching. It will be landing in hangar two," Frenso reported over the comm. line.

"Thank you, Captain. I'll go and meet them there," Revan replied as he stood.

Revan strode through the ship, nodding to the crewmembers that he passed on his way to hangar two. As he walked into the hangar, he saw an old and battered looking shuttle landing. As he approached, a lone figure walked down the ramp before the shuttle took off again. Revan's bond with his sister flared more than ever as he approached the figure.

"Master Jedi, welcome aboard the _Dauntless_. I'm Rear Admiral Surik," Revan greeted as he approached.

He stopped in his tracks when the Jedi whirled around at his words revealing his sister. Before he could react, she stormed up to him and slapped him soundly across the face.

"**You leave out of the blue and then all the news I get comes from the Holonet? Did it not even occur to you to call once in the last five months?**" Meetra shouted at the stunned Revan, slipping into their native Mando'a in her anger.

"**I've been busy. I haven't had time to do anything much,**" Revan protested, slipping into Mando'a as well as the ship shuddered as she leapt into hyperspace.

"**I doubt you were that busy, you honourless coward,**" Meetra screamed at him.

"**Don't call me that. You have no idea what has been happening to me, do you?**" Revan shouted back, infuriated by her insult.

"**And whose bloody fault is that? You never tried to contact me to tell me what's been happening to you so it's your own bloody fault,**" the woman yelled.

"**You want to know what's been happening to me? Fine. I've ordered the destruction of dozens of my own people's ships, been responsible for the deaths of thousands of my own people, personally killed over a hundred of my people in combat on the ground and seen the deaths of thousands of Republic soldiers. I can barely sleep at night because I think about what I've done to my own kriffin' people. So yeah, I can see why would call me an "honourless coward",**" Revan bellowed at her.

By this time, most of the hangar had stopped what they were doing and were watching the two of them shout at each other. Through their bond, Revan could feel Meetra's anger, which only served to fuel his own.

"**Well if it's all so hard then just stop. Go join the Mandalorians if you find it so bloody difficult to fight them,**" Meetra shouted.

"**Problem is, I don't agree with what their doing. I would love to join them but I just can't. I can't fight for something I don't agree with,**" Revan sighed, sounding pained and defeated.

As he spoke, he just seemed to deflate. Seeing him like this caused Meetra's anger to fade, albeit only slightly. Stepping forward, she enveloped her older brother in a hug as he broke down. The siblings stood in the middle of the hangar, arms wrapped around each other as Revan sobbed into his sister's shoulder. The crew hanging around in the hangar looked in shock at the sight of the legendary Revan Surik displaying such vulnerability. Eventually, after a few muttered words, the two left the hangar to continue their conversation in the privacy of Revan's quarters.

"**So, Rear Admiral now is it?**" Meetra asked as she sat on his desk.

"**Yes. So from now on, you will address me as either "sir" or "Rear Admiral Surik", understood?**" Revan retorted, putting on a pompous voice.

"**Psh. Dream on, asshole. If anything, I'll call you Rear Admiral Asshole. How does that sound?**" Meetra asked.

"**Rear Admiral Asshole would be more appropriate for Rear Admiral Jelethor. The twi'lek is so stupid it is unbelievable. Biggest problem is, he can't even accept help. The only reason he is where he is would be that his uncle is a very influential senator. Bunch of idiots the lot of them,**" Revan complained.

"**You chose to join them,**" she reminded him.

"**I know. But anyway, enough about me. What's been happening in the Order? All I get to hear is what the Holonet says. Give me details,**" Revan demanded.

"**Ok then. Well for one, a couple of Jedi are thinking of "pulling a Revan Surik" and quitting the Jedi Order to join the Republic military. To be honest, I'm one of them. So is Alek. Not Bas, though. She's adamant that the Council is correct and that you made the wrong choice when you left,**" Meetra told him with a roll of her eyes.

"**There's a surprise. It's a shame the Council managed to brainwash her as well, despite our efforts,**" Revan remarked with a slight shake of his head.

"**Tell me about it. But anyway, someone nicknamed us "the Revanchists" because of our thoughts about following you. Also, you're in the Archives,**" Meetra informed him with a grin.

"**Of course I'm in the Archives, all the Jedi, former Jedi and Republic officials are,**" Revan pointed out, confused.

"**Not in this way. The Archives recently got a small bronzium bust made of you to add to the Lost Knights. You know? The ones who left but didn't join the Sith,**" Meetra told him, still grinning.

"**Wicked. I'm surprised they actually let that happen. I was expecting them to refuse to do so,**" the former Jedi commented.

"**Oh they were going to. A lot of the Council felt that you shouldn't be counted as one of the Lost Knights. They felt that someone so "young and inexperienced" was unsuitable to be the twelfth Lost Knight. Thankfully, there was sufficient outrage amongst the Order when word got out that they had no choice but to do so or risk a great deal more people causing problems,**" the Jedi explained.

"**I didn't realise I had so much support amongst the Jedi Order,**" Revan murmured, shocked.

"**You don't. They were mainly traditionalists who disapproved of the Council not honouring one of their number who had left for other reasons than the dark side. So you can thank those traditionalists you always complained about,**" Meetra chuckled as the ship shuddered as they exited hyperspace to adjust their course.

"**The irony is not lost on me,**" Revan sighed.

"Rear Admiral, we have a situation," Frenso's worried voice came over the comm. link.

"I'm on my way," Revan answered before running out of the office.

Meetra ran after him, arriving on the bridge moments after her brother.

"What is it?" Revan asked as he approached the Captain.

Frenso merely activated the holotable, causing a hologram of Admiral Valerian Stanford to appear.

"This is Admiral Valerian Stanford to all nearby ships. Mandalorians are at Naboo. I repeat, a Mandalorian force is attempting to invade Naboo. All available ships are to report to Naboo immediately," the Corellia-born Admiral ordered.

"How old is this recording?" Revan asked.

"Not even a minute. It started transmitting shortly after we exited hyperspace," Frenso told him.

"No one else is close enough to reach him in anything less than an hour. Set course for Naboo," Revan ordered.

"With all due respect, Rear Admiral, we are on a mission," Frenso argued.

"And if we ignore that call then there may well not be a planet Naboo anymore, Captain. Set course for Naboo," Revan commanded.

Moments later, the nine ships once more disappeared into hyperspace. When they reached Naboo, the Republic fleet was in disarray. The organised Mandalorian fleet wasn't fighting the Republic fleet, they were slaughtering them. Revan's fleet had dropped out at the edge of the system so that he could assess the situation. Revan lept for the comms.

"All Republic ships, this is Rear Admiral Surik. Who is the ranking officer?"

"Well, sir, that would be you now. Admiral Stanford is MIA, presumed KIA, sir," one of the Captains explained.

"**Dammit!** Alright, form a staggered formation with the _Hammerhead_s, two lines, one slightly behind and above the other but with clear lines of fire. _Praetorian_s are to microjump to the Mandalorians' flanks and present them with full broadsides. I want the _Foray_s up close and personal with the dreadnaughts; at close range against high numbers those dreadnaughts won't have a chance. My taskforce will move in from behind to cut off their escape and tear into their currently unshielded engines. Understood?" Revan asked.

A series of agreements came over the line, some more reluctant than others. The Captains began to act on Revan's plan, moving their ships into the positions Revan ordered. As the once-more organised Republic fleet began to fire on the Mandalorian fleet, Revan's ships closed the distance. As soon as they entered firing range, missiles and turbolasers streaked across space before impacting the unshielded rears of the Mandalorian ships. A dozen Mandalorian ships exploded after the first volley from Revan's ships while the organised lines of the Republic fleet allowed them to deal greater damage to the Mandalorian fleet.

True to Revan's statement, the one-fifty metre _Foray_-class blockade runners were more than a match for the three kilometre dreadnaughts, their superior mobility and combined firepower soon finishing the dreadnaughts off. The crossfire produced by the two lines of frigates prevented the Mandalorians from focussing on one side or the other for the risk of getting shot in the back. The dual lines of _Hammerhead_s allowed them to use their powerful bow cannons to full effect. Revan's fleet, meanwhile, skulked among the asteroids of Arrissa's Field, using the asteroids to take the brunt of the Mandalorian return fire.

Despite the massive losses of the Mandalorians, the Republic was not without their own casualties. Almost two dozen blockade runners were destroyed as well as numerous frigates. Due to their formation giving them a small profile and the ability move themselves around to allow shields to recharge, the cruisers suffered very few casualties.

Eventually, the Mandalorian fleet turned toward Arrissa's Field with the intention of running. Giving the illusion of panic, Revan's fleet scattered in all directions. The Mandalorian fleet, still under fire from the pursuing Republic fleet, raced into the asteroid belt. When the Republic ships made to follow, Revan intervened.

"No! Stop! Do not pursue!" Revan ordered.

"But, Rear Admiral, we can't let them run," one of the Captains protested.

"And why shouldn't they we let them run into a minefield?" Revan asked.

"What minefield?" another Captain asked, confused.

As if on cue, a number of Mandalorian ships vanished in massive fireballs. As the rest of the remaining ships suffered the same fate, Revan smirked.

"That minefield," Revan remarked.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Good day/night, readers. Writing Fanfiction in the Computing room at school, probably not the best use of my time. Last chapter, Revan got speak (*cough*argue*cough*) with his sister. Which reminds me, if no one goes to vote on the poll, I'll just take it down and make an executive decision. But, yeah, Revan also inadvertently made himself into an even bigger legend. This chapter won't have action; it's more a behind-the-scenes of Revan when he isn't on the battlefield. It is also the beginning of the Revan that everyone knows. Mandalorian will once again be in bold.**

**Disclaimer: Knights of the Old Republic belongs to Bioware, including Revan. Star Wars belongs to Disney these days. Not to me. Although I am working to rectify that.**

**Coruscant, 288ATGS**

Revan stepped out of the _Dauntless_ and onto the dock. The crew of the _Dauntless_ had been given shore leave, not least because the _Dauntless_ needed some repairs. There was also the fact that a lot of the crew hadn't been on leave for a while. In fact, Revan hadn't had any leave in the six months he had served under the banner of the Republic.

In a rare display of persuasiveness, Captain Frenso had managed to talk Revan into wearing something other than his uniform or his armour. As a result, he had donned a light blue shirt, dark blue trousers and a black leather jacket. The rest of the crew was shocked at the fact that he had actually submitted to Frenso's attempts, so much so that one of the marines had asked her friend to pinch her to make sure she was awake. Her friend had proceeded to punch her which had resulted in a brief scuffle in the mess hall.

True to his word, when he had been told that he would be on leave, Revan had contacted his sister to let her know that he would be on Coruscant for the week. She had immediately arranged to meet him and said she would bring Alek and Bastila if she could.

Hence, as he wandered into the entrance hall, Revan scanned the waiting crowd for his sister. Ignoring the reporters and journalists trying to get his attention, he continued to wander toward the exit. He only stopped when he felt a familiar presence nearby, shouting to him through the Force.

"**Hey, idiot! Over here!**"

Turning toward where he sensed the presence, Revan grinned as he began to walk toward his sister. Stepping into the crowd and continuing to ignore the crowds trying to get his attention, he approached his sister.

Meetra was stood leaning against a pillar a few metres from the edge of the crowd. Unusually for her, she wasn't clad in the siblings' favoured black and grey version of the Jedi robes. Rather, she was dressed in a sleeveless white tunic and black trousers with an ankle-length black coat over the top.

As he pushed his way through the last of the crowd, she pushed off the pillar and walked toward him. When they were a metre away from each other, they stopped and looked at each other.

"Meetra."

"Revan. **How've you been?**"

"**Not bad. After dropping you off here a month ago, we got called off to a few battles and skirmishes. Nothing major. How about you?**" Revan asked as they walked toward the exit.

"**Been fine. Alek will join us as soon as he gets back from his current mission. He'll be back in a couple of hours. Bastila, on the other hand, is refusing to speak with you. When I mentioned that you were coming to Coruscant, she made some remark about how she didn't care what "that traitorous asshole" did,**" Meetra muttered, scowling.

"**Shame. It would have been nice to see her again,**" Revan commented, disappointed.

"**Yeah well, I'm not surprised. Bastila's started moving in different circles. Ever since you left she's started spending more time training and more time talking with some of the traditionalists her own age. She rarely spoke with us anymore. Now, since I've been expressing a great deal of agreement with you, even going so far as to openly talk of joining you, she doesn't talk to me at all really,**" Meetra moaned.

"**I thought you didn't like what I'd done?**" Revan asked.

"**I didn't like it at the time because it felt like you were deserting me. Now though, I agree with you. Alek does too but not quite as much. Many a time I've considered joining you,**" Meetra told him with a smirk.

She climbed into one of the speeders from the Jedi Temple while Revan climbed into the passenger seat.

"**Whilst I would appreciate the company, I don't want you on the fronlines. In the end though, the choice is yours. I won't stop you or judge you either way,**" Revan shrugged.

Meetra only gave him a grateful smile and a slight nod. The speeder swept down a few levels and onto a landing pad next to a small café and the siblings got out.

"**Alek's going to meet us here once he can,**" Meetra explained as they walked toward the door.

"**Glad to hear it. It will be nice to see him again,**" Revan commented.

"**I got the feeling he was looking forward to it as well,**" Meetra remarked.

When they entered, they moved toward a booth in one of the corners. Once they took their seats, they ordered drinks from the menu and waited to have them brought. Before they could resume their conversation, a gruff voice interrupted them.

"You're in our booth, kids."

Looking up, Revan and Meetra found themselves looking at three burly humans, a pair of twi'leks and a trandoshan. Each was dressed in rather ragged clothes and was relatively heavily armed.

"Did you not hear me? You're in our booth," one of the humans, possibly the leader, sneered.

"Well then, I guess you'll have to sit somewhere else," Revan retorted.

"I don't think you realise who you're dealing with. We're members of the Black Sun. We make the rules in these parts," the human snarled.

"I don't care. We have sat down here and we have we have no intention of moving," Revan stated calmly.

Everyone else in the café was starting to worry. A number of them were getting ready to run at the first sign of violence.

"Who do think you are, speaking to us like that?" the human bellowed while his companions made threatening gestures.

"REVAN! How are you?" shouted Alek's voice from the door.

When he saw the group surrounding the booth seating his friends, he paused. Revan looked up at the group of thugs.

"Does that answer your question? Now, I suggest you leave," Revan warned, calm as ever.

To emphasise the threat, Revan placed his hand on the table, the hilt of his violet lightsaber clasped in it. The thugs looked from Revan's calm face to the lightsaber and back, before they started to back away.

"We don't want no trouble with the Dark Knight of the Republic. Come on, boys, let's go," the leader said.

The group turned and almost ran from the café, passing Alek, who quirked an eyebrow at them as one of them paused. Once the last of them left, Alek shook his head slightly and joined his friends.

"I didn't realise my name inspired such fear and awe in people," Revan commented, shocked.

"Well, the Republic did circulate a video of you tearing through Mandalorians with apparent ease. Added to the reports that are plastered across the Holonet pertaining to your tactical achievements, you've been virtually deified by the Republic citizens," Meetra explained with a slight shrug.

"Oh well. Anyway, onto more pressing matters. Alek, how've you been?" Revan asked by way of greeting.

Alek chose his drink and turned to his friend.

"Not bad, Revan, not bad at all. Mind you, it's you that's the interesting one," Alek murmured.

"How so this time?" Revan asked tiredly as the drinks arrived.

"I overheard a group of padawans talking about you. The way they were talking made you sound invincible. To be fair, I did hear them mention the "Revan Surik Fan Club" so I can only assume they were members," Alek chuckled.

"Wait, fan club? Oh Force," Revan groaned, laying his head on the table while Meetra patted his shoulder.

"Oh yes. It's apparently become very popular. Despite your relatively recent appearance on the battlefield, people are beginning to see you as some kind of saviour or something. It doesn't help that the Republic is taking advantage of it and publicising your actions and victories. The video of you on Teth recently reached the Top Ten most viewed videos on the Holonet," Alek elaborated with a grin.

"That's just what I needed. I didn't join up to be the Republic's poster boy," Revan moaned, not lifting his head.

"But you sort of are. The Republic is using you as an example of the best the Republic has, the epitome of what the Republic Navy is. They're not going out of their way to do so. They're being subtle about it. A video here, a news report there. They don't make it obvious that that's what they're doing, but it's working. You've become more of a household name than Chancellor Vaalk in the space of six months," Alek explained.

"Wonderful. I'm never going to be able to go anywhere, am I?" Revan grunted in annoyance.

"That depends," Meetra remarked.

"What do you mean?" Revan asked, lifting his head slightly to look at the people sitting on either side of him in the booth.

"The armour, your father's old armour. After you used it for the Battle of Teth, it earned you the title of Dark Knight of the Republic," Alek began,

"Yeah, I got that much," Revan muttered.

"Shut up, I'm explaining. Anyway, that armour has become almost as iconic as your name has. So, you put the two together. Become the Dark Knight of the Republic in earnest. You do that, people will forget about Revan Surik as a person. They will only think of Revan, Dark Knight of the Republic. That way, Revan Surik will have far freer movement. Theoretically," Alek concluded.

"You know, the idea has merit. I'll think about it. In the meantime, I want to hear all the news from in the Temple," Revan demanded with a grin.

For the next two weeks, Revan spent most of his time with Alek and Meetra. They went to cafes, visited a gallery, went for walks and visited the Galactic Museum. Despite Meetra and Alek's best efforts, Bastila refused to meet with Revan. However, the three didn't let it bother them too much, enjoying themselves just the same.

When Revan's shore leave was up, the two Jedi saw him to Aurek base, where they parted. This time, Meetra made sure to inform Revan that there would be worse waiting for him than a slap if he didn't contact them. Once they finished their goodbyes, Revan walked into the building to speak with High Command.

As Revan entered the meeting room, he found only Supreme Commander Tarrick and Admiral Dodonna present. Immediately upon entering the room, Revan snapped to attention and saluted.

"Rear Admiral Surik. At ease. Thank you for joining us. Admiral Dodonna is taking a fleet to liberate Kashyyyk. The Mandalorians recently invaded and we want to remove them before they can bomb the planet," Tarrick told Revan.

"I want you a part of the fleet, Rear Admiral. I'm dividing the fleet into three elements. First Element will be led by myself and be the main force. Second Element will be led by Vice Admiral Gerrel and act as the secondary attack force. You will be commanding Third Element. Where First and Second Elements will be engaging the Mandalorians in space, Third Element's task is to get a preliminary force on the ground. Gerrel will have no authority over Third Element, you will be answering only to me. Understood?" Dodonna asked.

"Perfectly, ma'am," Revan confirmed.

"Well then, dismissed, Rear Admiral," Tarrick commanded.

"Before I go, sir, ma'am. I have a proposal," Revan stated.

"Oh? What is it?" Dodonna asked.

"The so-called Dark Knight of the Republic has become a symbol in the media despite the fact that I've only used the armour once. But what if the Dark Knight of the Republic became a permanent feature?" Revan suggested.

"What do you mean?" Tarrick asked, curious.

"What I'm suggesting is, that instead of wearing a normal Republic uniform, I wear my black and red armour," Revan stated.

"You want to turn the Dark Knight from an icon into an ideal? You want to turn yourself into an ideal?" Dodonna asked, shocked.

"No, that is exactly what I don't want. Revan Surik is just one man and a man can be killed. Revan, the Dark Knight of the Republic, could be an ideal, a symbol. If someone obviously mortal does too much, they become a target. If a mysterious figure does too much, they become a symbol, a rallying point. Something for people to look at and see as beyond mortal," Revan explained.

"And you would be willing to do this? You are aware that this would result in us having to publicise your actions even more?" Tarrick pointed out.

"Hence the use of the mask. It means that while I can appear on the Holonet frequently, I can still move about without being pursued by the press," Revan said.

"The idea has merit, Supreme Commander," Dodonna commented.

"Indeed. All right, go ahead. From now on, I expect to hear of Revan, Dark Knight of the Republic, as opposed to Revan Surik. Your rank will be the same but we'll change it to Rear Admiral Revan," Tarrick informed him.

"Understood, sir. If you'll excuse me, I'll go and retrieve my armour," Revan stated.

"Good. Good luck, Rear Admiral Revan," Tarrick said as Revan left.

When Revan reached the _Dauntless_, still lacking in crewmembers, he moved swiftly to his quarters. Once there, he opened the cupboard that held the armour. Almost reverently he lifted the mask from on top of the piled armour and robes.

"Time for the Dark Knight of the Republic to step into the light," Revan murmured to himself as he gazed into the slit-like visor on the mask.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: Wassup, peeps. OK, never doing that again. Anyway, far more importantly, someone finally voted on the poll (this as of 19:50GMT). Thank you for doing so. Everyone else should go follow his or her example. Your opinion matters to me, for once. I've also decided that Mandalorian will now always be in English but bold (it means I don't have to spend time actually find it). Now then, this chapter features Revan at the Retaking of Kashyyyk. I have something special planned for this…**

**Disclaimer: Knights of the Old Republic belongs to Bioware, including Revan. Star Wars belongs to Disney these days. Not to me. Although I am working to rectify that.**

_**Dauntless**_**, 288ATGS**

When the crew of the _Dauntless_ returned to the ship, Frenso and the bridge crew went straight to the bridge. Upon entering, they stopped in their tracks staring in shock and awe at the sight in front of them.

Leaning over the holotable in the centre of the bridge was a figure clad in black and red Mandalorian armour over a set of black robes. A black cloak was laid across his shoulders with a hood covering his bowed head as he examined the holotable. When he looked up at them, they found his face obscured by a black mask with a red T-shaped marking across it.

"Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen. To your stations, we have work to do," Revan ordered, his voice sounding slightly mechanical through the mask.

As the crew moved to their stations, Revan paused for a moment.

"All hands, prepare to cast off," Revan's voice ordered over the intercom, much to the bridge crew's shock as they hadn't heard him speak.

As the _Hammerhead_ lifted off the planet's surface, Frenso approached her superior.

"Permission to speak freely, sir?" Frenso asked.

"Permission granted, Captain," Revan's slightly distorted voice ordered.

"What's with the outfit?" Frenso asked.

"Fear factor more than anything. Word will have gotten to the Mandalorians about the Battle of Teth. This could provide that little bit of fear, causing them to make mistakes. It will also provide a morale boost to our own forces," Revan explained.

Revan beckoned her to the table.

"The plan is for Dodonna's fleet to take the Mandalorians head on while Gerrel will be striking them from the flanks. We will be avoiding the space battle as much as possible. We're leading a small fleet straight to Kashyyyk, where we will be dropping off the first wave of soldiers, hence the fact that our fleet is mainly composed of troop transports, seventy-three to be precise. They will be escorted by the _Dauntless_, three _Praetorian_s and a dozen _Foray_s. Once we reach the planet, you will be in command of the fleet, Captain, while I take part in the ground campaign, understood?" Revan checked.

Frenso nodded her agreement and understanding. As the two continued going over details, the combined fleet jumped to hyperspace toward Kashyyyk.

Once the fleet arrived in the Kashyyyk system, they separated into their component fleets. While the one hundred and fifty vessels of Dodonna's force formed up on her flagship, the _Incorruptible_, ninety vessels arranged themselves around Vice Admiral Gerrel's flagship. The remaining ships formed up on the _Dauntless_, with the warships ahead of the transports. As Dodonna's fleet moved to engage the Mandalorian fleet head on, Gerrel's fleet split in two and attacked from either side. Revan held his force back.

"Rear Admiral, aren't we supposed to be getting soldiers on the ground?" Frenso asked, confused at the apparent lack of action.

"Indeed. However, we must wait for the opportune moment," Revan pointed out coolly.

As Revan continued to stare at the holotable, Frenso started to worry. Just as she thought the order would never come, Revan looked up.

"All ships move in. Begin landing ground forces at Landing Zones Aurek, Besh, Cresh and Dorn," Revan ordered.

As the fleet began to accelerate toward the planet, the surrounded Mandalorian fleet could do nothing but watch the sixteen warships and seventy-three transports looped around the battle and to the planet. As they entered orbit, dropships launched from the hangar bays of each ship, taking thousands of soldiers to the planet below. Landing Zones Aurek and Besh were amongst the trees and would be used to gain access to the wookiees' treetop villages and bridges. Landing Zone Cresh was on a nearby plain and would play host to the Forward Operating Base. Landing Zone Dorn, meanwhile, was a beach by the forest.

Revan stood in one of the dropships with two squads of soldiers, waiting until they reached Landing Zone Dorn. Before the dropship door had even opened fully, Revan was off. At speeds almost invisible to the naked eye, Revan approached the nearest Mandalorians. With his violet lightsaber drawn, he tore into the squad of Mandalorians with ease. Within moments, the six warriors were dead and Revan was moving toward his next foes.

Once more, Revan's predictions proved accurate. The presence of the Dark Knight of the Republic caused the morale of the Republic soldiers to skyrocket. The sight of him racing across the battlefield inspired the Republic's defenders more than any speech could have.

Where the Republic soldiers cheered his coming, the Mandalorians feared it. All had seen the footage on the Holonet of the Battle of Teth. They all knew of the devastation wrought by this one being. It had demonstrated his unbelievable skill to the galaxy and whilst the Clans would never admit it, that little display of power and skill had scared most of them. To have that skill and power on the battlefield opposite you caused a number of them a great deal of fear and worry.

Revan danced among trees and Mandalorians alike, indifferent to the blaster fire around him. The bolts that came to him were deflected harmlessly away with a casual ease. Revan back-flipped out of the path of a flamethrower, before pushing off the tree behind him. He collided with his attacker, tackling him to the ground even as he drove his lightsaber into his chest. Without withdrawing his lightsaber from the corpse, the ex-Jedi raised his hand, taking a nearby tree trunk with it. With a flick of his wrist, the tree trunk flew across the clearing before smashing into a trio of unfortunate Mandalorians.

As Revan continued to race across the battlefield, he grew almost bored. The pattern of slashing, stabbing and parrying with the violet blade and the casual use of Force powers became monotonous. Nothing on the battlefield stood before him for long. Even when faced with two Basilisks, Revan had barely had any trouble. As he relieved another Mandalorian of his head Revan almost wished for a challenge.

As he turned from the now-headless body, he caught a glimpse of a Republic soldier through the trees. The Republic soldier was exchanging blaster bolts with an unseen foe. This exchange was rendered over, however, when a glowing crimson blade erupted from his chest. As the blade withdrew, the soldier fell to the ground. A young-looking Lethan twi'lek stepped from behind where he had stood, crimson lightsaber in hand. She had numerous black tattoos across her skin, all of them consisting mainly of curves and sharp points. A silver metal bustier covered her relatively large breasts while tight black leggings and knee-high black boots covered her legs. (**A.N. basically looks like Darth Talon)**

Revan turned and started running toward her. Vaulting over a fallen tree, he used the Force to fling an approaching Mandalorian through the trunk of one of the massive wroshyr trees. As he approached, the twi'lek turned toward him and he saw her eyes widen slightly before narrowing. With a snarl, she started running toward him.

When they met, their sabers crashed together, violet and crimson battling for dominance. Revan used his slightly superior height to his advantage, pushing her blade downwards. With a sharp kick to her exposed belly that sent her staggering back, Revan went on the offensive. Swinging at her head, his blade was met by hers. Immediately he spun the blade away and then toward her waist, where her blade once more met it. She pushed his blade back and stabbed at his chest, which he batted aside almost lazily before counterattacking.

As the two duellists continued to exchange blows, glowing slashes appeared on the trees around them. The two duellists continued to dance from one swing to the next, parrying and slashing at each other, the battle continued to rage around them. As their blades once again locked together, the twi'lek spoke for the first time.

"Why don't you just die already, Jedi?" she spat, voice surprisingly soft.

"Ladies first. And I'm no Jedi," Revan retorted.

"Really? Could've fooled me," the woman sneered.

"I am a Republic soldier who happens to also be a former Jedi. How about you?" Revan asked, tone bordering on jovial.

"I am Rana Zathera. I am an assassin of the True Sith Empire and I will be your doom," the twi'lek informed the Rear Admiral, voice dripping with hate.

"That's a shame, Miss Zathera. I'm sure you and me would get along excellently if we had a chance to chat," Revan joked.

With a growl, Zathera pushed Revan's lightsaber back before swinging at his neck. Rather than raise his blade, Revan lifted his left arm into the path of the blade. Much to Zathera's shock, when the crimson blade made contact with the black and red vambrace it stopped.

"What? How?" Zathera cried in shock.

"Unlike the weaker but cheaper alloy of Mandalorian Iron used by the Mandalorians now, this is pure Mandalorian Iron. It's just become far too expensive to produce so much armour out of pure Mandalorian Iron that they don't do it. This armour is from the olden days when it was pure Mandalorian Iron, easily capable of blocking a lightsaber," Revan explained, smirking behind his mask.

Once again delivering a sharp kick to her midriff, Revan sent Zathera staggering away. In a flash, he was in front of her once more, swinging at her head. At the last moment, the twi'lek ducked under the violet blade. With a grunt, Zathera unleashed a Force Push, sending Revan soaring through the air. With a slight nudge with the Force, Revan flipped himself over, allowing him to land on his feet before sliding a few more metres.

"Not bad. Try this one for power," Revan remarked, unleashing his own Force Push at the approaching Zathera.

With a cry, the twi'lek was launched off her feet and sailed through the air for nearly thirty metres before her back impacted against a tree, knocking her lightsaber from her grip. Revan strolled toward her casually, blade held at his side. As the woman tried to reach for her weapon, Revan lifted his left hand and froze her in place. He continued to approach the self-proclaimed Sith assassin as she struggled to break free from the stasis he had locked her in.

Eventually, Revan was forced to drop the stasis when she managed to launch a barrage of Force Lightning at him. Revan brought up an invisible Force barrier that shielded him from the volley, flickering with violet sparks wherever the lightning hit. Zathera took the opportunity to retrieve her lightsaber before proceeding to unleash another volley of Force Lightning. The violet shield flared under the barrage, becoming almost entirely violet. However, despite her best efforts, Revan's barrier withstood Zathera's onslaught.

With a frustrated yell, Zathera charged him. She swung at his neck, only for her blade to create violet sparks as it impacted the barrier. As she brought her saber back to strike again, Revan struck. Releasing the barrier, he swung his blade quickly. Three quick strikes were all it took for Zathera to collapse, a saber wound on each leg and another on her saber arm. Using her temporary distraction because of the pain to his advantage, Revan darted into the outer levels of her mind. What he found worried him.

As she had claimed, she was an agent of the True Sith Empire. The True Sith had survived, apparently because of the Emperor. Thankfully, they were still too weak to challenge the Galactic Republic at full power. Hence, they had convinced the Mandalorians to attack. As Zathera managed to regain enough control to push him out, Revan put the final pieces together.

The True Sith wanted the Mandalorians to weaken the Republic and the Jedi so that the Empire could sweep in and crush them both. The Jedi's lack of action was a minor problem for the Empire but nothing to be overly concerned with. Unfortunately for the Empire, Revan had no intention of letting the Republic fall.

Revan glanced down at the assassin writhing on the ground before him. With a shrug, Revan brought his foot into contact with her temple, knocking her out. Entering a couple of commands into his mask, Revan opened a line to Admiral Dodonna.

"Rear Admiral. What is it?" Dodonna asked.

"Ma'am, shit just got a lot more complicated," Revan commented.

"What do you mean?" Dodonna queried.

"One word: Sith," Revan answered.

"Dammit!" the usually composed to Dodonna almost shouted, followed by what sounded like a fist hitting metal.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: Hello there, boys and girls, let me tell you a story. Right then, I'm going to stop trying to create original greetings, they're starting to get downright creepy. Moving on swiftly, this chapter should, hopefully, be interesting, good and exciting. Remember that Mandalorian is in bold. Revan has found a Sith. I wonder what Revan, the greatest tactician of his age, will do with an unconscious Sith. No, he's not doing that; get your minds out of the gutter. Honestly…**

**Disclaimer: Knights of the Old Republic belongs to Bioware, including Revan. Star Wars belongs to Disney these days. Not to me. Although I am working to rectify that.**

_**Dauntless**_**, 288ATGS**

Revan stood in the hangar, looking down onto the planet Kashyyyk below. With the assistance of the wookiees on the ground and the strategies of Dodonna in space, the Mandalorians had been driven from the system within a single local day. After Revan had incapacitated the Sith assassin, he had taken her to a shuttle he had called down where she was fitted with a Force inhibitor and taken to the prison cells of the _Dauntless_. With that out of the way, Revan had rejoined the battle, in the process further enhancing the image of the Dark Knight of the Republic.

Now, however, he watched through the visor of his mask as a shuttle glided into the hangar. As the small craft landed and the ramp lowered, Revan snapped to attention. When Admiral Dodonna exited the shuttle, the two officers exchanged salutes before moving out of the hangar.

"What have you managed to gather so far?" Dodonna asked as they strode through the halls.

"Nothing. She only regained consciousness moments before you arrived. I've told them to hold off on the questioning until we get there. Before that, I was going to have a look at her belongings. Would you like to join me?" Revan asked.

"Indeed. Sometimes a persons belongings can shed a light on how to get answers from them," Dodonna commented as they approached the detention block.

Revan only nodded in agreement before entering a small room. The room was bare except for a table and a few chairs. On the table lay a small pile of objects, all of them presumed or known to belong to the Sith a few doors down. Revan turned toward Dodonna to suggest waiting for the pile to be sorted only to find her entering the room and approaching the table.

"If we wish to understand our prisoner, we must examine their possessions. We will just have to sort through them ourselves," Dodonna informed her subordinate, removing the purse at the top of the pile.

With a shrug, Revan stepped forward and grabbed a datapad from the pile. The pair went through the pile, gradually whittling it down and organising its contents. After a while, despite the difference in rank, the two started chatting, sometimes discussing an object they had found, planning their interrogation or sometimes something utterly pointless. When Revan was looking at a hologram that showed a map of the surface of Kashyyyk, he noticed Dodonna pause.

"Revan, any ideas what these are?" she asked.

Revan glanced up and nearly dropped the projector in shock. Staring at the objects resting in Dodonna's palm, Revan placed the projector on the table before approaching.

"I don't believe it. I've never seen these before in real life, only ever pictures," Revan murmured in awe.

"What are they?" Dodonna asked, slightly exasperated.

"Holocrons."

Revan pointed to one of them, a three-sided pyramid with a black and red vortex pattern.

"This one is a Sith holocron. It is used by the Sith to store knowledge, teachings and information. They allegedly also have the ability to corrupt Jedi by extended exposure to their presence," Revan explained.

He then pointed to the other holocron, a perfect gold sphere with glowing blue veins running across it.

"This one, I've only ever heard stories of. If it is what I think it is, this is one of the first holocrons created and the first stable one. It is known as the Holocron of the Force and is rumoured to contain more knowledge than the Jedi Archives, including the Holocron Chamber," Revan informed the Admiral, the awe clear in his slightly mechanical voice.

"Why would an assassin have these?" Dodonna asked, confused.

"I would guess that the Sith holocron was a gift from someone or she took it after killing its previous owner. As for the Holocron of the Force, she must have found it. However, while the Sith holocron bears signs of recent use, the Holocron of the Force appears not to have used for thousands of years," Revan muttered.

"How can you tell?" Dodonna asked, getting more confused by the minute.

"Signs in the Force. May I?" Revan checked, reaching for the Holocron of the Force.

"Go ahead," Dodonna agreed.

Revan plucked the sphere from Dodonna's hand, allowing it to rest in the palm of his right hand.

"I'm pretty sure I'm correct in my statement. I always thought the Holocron of the Force was a myth, a story. I'm going to activate it," Revan stated.

"What? Did it ever occur to you that it could be a Sith trap?" Dodonna almost shouted at him.

"It isn't. A holocron's nature cannot be disguised. A Sith holocron always feels dark whereas a Jedi holocron feels bright. This one simply is," Revan explained.

With a slight twitch of his fingers, Revan sent a jolt of Force energy into the Holocron. The veins seemed to pulse briefly before a blue image of a cloaked figure appeared, face hidden by a hood.

"Greetings, Force-user. I am Vaar Tokand. Might inquire as to your identity?" the figure asked in an extremely deep voice.

"My name is Revan Surik. I seek to access the knowledge contained within this holocron, with your permission, gatekeeper," Revan informed the figure with a slight bow.

Dodonna could only watch in shock, as the figure seemed to look Revan up and down.

"Yes, I shall provide you with access. You are already on the correct path. There is one lesson that I shall teach you now. It is crucial that you remember this first lesson, for it is the most important," Vaar Tokand told Revan sternly.

"I am ready to learn all that you are willing to teach me," Revan replied, head slightly bowed.

"There is no "light side". There is no "dark side". The Force does not have such limitations. The Force is infinite, as are the abilities of a Force-user. The only limit is your mind. If you remember this, I shall be able to teach you much. For now, you must think on this. Return to me once you are ready," the hologram instructed before disappearing.

The two people in the room just stared at the orb for a full minute before either of them spoke.

"What was that?"

Dodonna's question seemed to bring Revan out of his shocked stupor.

"That was the most intriguing lesson I have ever had. The Holocron has just dismissed beliefs that have existed for over twenty thousand years. It will take some getting used to. Do you mind if I hold onto this?" Revan asked after a pause.

"Not at all. Now come along. I believe we have a Sith to interrogate," Dodonna remarked.

The two left the room, proceeding down the hallway to the one door that had a pair of guards stationed by it. Nodding to them both, Revan stepped toward the door. As he approached, the door slid into the top of the doorframe to allow the two officers access to the cell.

Entering the small room, they were faced with the sight of the Sith strapped to a table by thick metal restraints while a Force inhibitor was attached to her neck. As the two entered, the twi'lek raised her head and sneered at them.

"You may as well leave, I will tell you nothing," the woman snarled.

"Regardless, I wish to speak with you. I am Admiral Dodonna and this is Rear Admiral Surik," Dodonna introduced them.

"I fail to see what you wish to accomplish here, _Admiral_. **I will not speak with the enemy even at the cost of my life,**" Zathera hissed in an effort to confuse them.

Her efforts were partially successful. While Dodonna understand the Mandalorian, Revan understood it perfectly despite a number of mistakes. Hence, it shocked the other occupants when he responded.

"**You know, if you are going to use another language, at least learn how to speak it properly. That was pretty bad,**" Revan pointed out.

"What's going on?" Dodonna muttered to Revan.

"She was trying to confuse us by speaking Mandalorian, quite badly at that," Revan explained in an undertone.

"I didn't know you spoke Mandalorian," Dodonna whispered.

"My father was Mandalorian. I am Mandalorian in all but name and that by choice," Revan responded quietly.

Dodonna nodded slightly in understanding before turning back to Rana Zathera, who was still staring at Revan in shock.

"Now then, miss Zathera, I want you to answer me a few questions," Dodonna said, calmly, with a glance to Revan.

"I will tell you nothing."

"We'll see. You are an assassin for the True Sith Empire, correct?" Dodonna asked.

"Yes," Zathera stated proudly.

Glancing to Revan, Dodonna saw him nod once.

"Okay then. The True Sith Empire, how powerful is it?" Dodonna asked as Revan walked to the opposite corner of the room and into her direct line of sight.

"The Empire is mightier than you can fathom. Our armies are vast and our fleets unbeatable. The Empire's rule is absolute. The Empire is the pinnacle of power and when it comes, and come it will, the Imperial war machine will crush your puny Republic and those filthy Jedi," the Sith ranted.

Revan once again nodded his head once Dodonna glanced at him.

"What about star systems and their locations?" Dodonna asked.

The younger woman remained silent but after a moment, Revan once more bobbed his head.

"What is the capital of the Empire? Where is it located?" Dodonna asked, folding her arms across her chest.

"You will never find it. It's secret will die with me," Zathera shouted.

Glancing to Revan once more, Dodonna saw him nod once more.

They continued in this way for a while, Dodonna would ask a question, Zathera would refuse to answer in one way or another and Revan would nod his head moments after each question was asked. After roughly an hour of questioning, Dodonna signalled Revan and the two left. Once they reached the turbolift to the hangar deck, Dodonna turned to Revan and broke the silence between them.

"Did it work?"

"Flawlessly. As soon as something was mentioned it floated to the forefront of her mind. From there, without the Force to aid her, it was a simple matter to see the information. I'll transfer it to a datapad and give it to you," Revan stated.

"Good. The more we know about them, the better. Do you think we should notify anyone?" Dodonna asked him.

"I think it should be classified as highly as it can be and High Command should be notified of this. Whatever happens, the Jedi must not get wind of this yet. They will try to force the Republic to turn all of its attention to this and with the Mandalorians still at large, we can't afford to do that," Revan pointed out.

"My thoughts exactly. I will leave the prisoner in your custody. Her fate is up to you. I trust you will make the best choice possible. I'll show myself back to my shuttle. Have your ships hold position until further notice. We're likely to be here for a while. Good day, Rear Admiral," Dodonna said as she exited the lift.

"Good day, ma'am," Revan responded with a salute.

As the doors slid shut again, Revan sent it toward the floor with his quarters. Upon entering them, he placed the mask on the desk and hung the cloak on the back of his chair before sitting down. Revan sat and meditated for almost two hours before stirring once more.

This meditation had had a distinct purpose. A purpose it had fulfilled.

Revan had seen evidence in the currents of the Force as he meditated that pointed toward Vaar Tokand's statement being true. He had already had his doubts about the black-and-white view of the Force and his meditation and the words of the Holocron had confirmed it.

He pulled the Holocron out of his pocket and once more sent a pulse of Force power into it. The image of Vaar Tokand appeared once more.

"Ah, Revan Surik. I assume you have considered what I told you?" Tokand asked.

"Indeed. I have thought and meditated and I have come to the conclusion that you are correct. The dark side and the light side are related to the person using the Force and not the Force itself," Revan agreed.

"Well done. You have taken your first steps into a wider world. Now, however, we will need space and time to work. A starship is no place for such an endeavour. You will travel to the planet Despayre in the Horuz system. It is located at the coordinates L-5. Take supplies for you will be there for at least six months," Tokand instructed.

Revan nodded and was about to close down the Holocron when the Force nudged him toward a decision. Hence, he asked Tokand one last question.

"May Rana Zathera, a Sith assassin, accompany me?"


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: Hello, readers. Revan is learning new tricks that will make him even more overpowered. Except that it is Revan so it would be better to say that everyone is just underpowered compared to him, he's that awesome. Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: You know what? Screw this. If you still labour under the delusion that I own Star Wars or anything or anyone in it go find a psychiatrist. I only own the characters I create. Feel free to ask for their use.**

**Coruscant, 289ATGS**

Revan stepped off the ramp of the freighter, cloak billowing behind him in the Coruscanti winds. The thirty-three year old looked out at the cityscape around him, revelling in the many Force signatures he could feel. The self-termed Grey Jedi closed his eyes and breathed in deeply through his mask. His apprentice stepped out after him, her own black cloak billowing behind her.

"This is Coruscant?" Rana Zathera asked, unimpressed.

"Indeed. However, to see the planet's beauty, you must look not at the physical alone. View the planet through the Force and its true glory is revealed," Revan lectured.

The former Sith rolled her eyes before taking a deep breath and closing them. As she reached out with the Force, she sensed the world around her. With a gasp, her violet eyes snapped open.

"By the Force, it feels incredible. So much life, so much happiness, so much sadness. How can the planet exist like that?" Rana asked in awe.

"Where there is light, it must cast shadows. Where there is happiness, there must be sorrow. Where there is life, there must be death. It is the cycle of the galaxy. The Force is merely a tool of creation to ensure balance within the galaxy," Revan explained.

"And the Jedi?" Rana asked, having never heard her master's opinion of the Jedi.

"The Jedi believe themselves to be in the right. Although neither would admit it, the Jedi and the Sith have a great deal in common. Both believe their viewpoint is correct. Both believe that the Force is more powerful for them than any other. Both believe themselves to be superior to the other. And most importantly, both see the galaxy in black and white. As far as they are concerned, you are one or the other, there is no other option," Revan elaborated.

"I thought your sister was a Jedi?" Rana queried.

"Indeed. She is slightly less bound to the black and white view of the galaxy. She still has a way to go but I feel she will get there in the end," Revan answered.

As Rana nodded, Revan strode off the landing pad. As the Holocron had instructed, Revan had gone to Despayre to train, accompanied by Rana Zathera. In their six months staying on a group of islands, Rana had avoided Revan initially before she had begun to trust him and eventually agreed to learn from him. High Command had not been pleased when Revan had demanded time to train but had granted his request. The cover story had been that he was going on an extended reconnaissance mission.

When Revan and Rana reached the doors to the chambers of High Command, they were checked over and their lightsabers were taken before they were allowed to enter. When the two entered, Supreme Commander Tarrick, Admiral Barint and Admiral Dodonna turned toward the door. Upon recognising the former Sith assassin, Dodonna immediately reached for her blaster before realising that it was with security at the desk.

"Relax, Admiral Dodonna. Rana Zathera no longer has her old allegiances. She is now my pupil and hence will be accompanying me," Revan explained.

"Rana Zathera? As in, the one that was locked up on the _Dauntless_ until she left with you?" Barint asked.

"Indeed. At this time, she will not be a problem," Revan stated, sending a brief warning glance at his apprentice.

"I will trust your judgement on this, Rear Admiral. However, should she become a problem, I reserve the right to have her barred from Republic vessels. Is that understood, Rear Admiral?" Tarrick told the Grey Jedi.

"Perfectly, sir. What are your orders?" Revan asked.

"Due to circumstances working against us, not only are we a Vice Admiral down, we are also being attacked on numerous fronts. All highly ranked officers have been dispatched to combat this sudden offensive from the Mandalorians. Admirals Dodonna and Barint are both taking fleets to keep the Mandalorians back on two fronts. However, there is one front that is undefended. The numbers required are above the authority of any available officer to command. As a result, we're promoting you to Vice Admiral. You're orders are to take the fleet amassed to Rhen Var and prevent it from falling into Mandalorian hands," Tarrick ordered.

"Yes, sir. Will the _Dauntless_ still be acting as my flagship?" Revan asked.

"Yes, she will. Anything else?" Tarrick asked.

"No, sir. If you will excuse us, we will link up with the fleet and depart," Revan concluded with a salute.

As the two left, Rana looked up at her master.

"That went well," the twi'lek commented.

"Indeed. Come along, Rana, we have a planet to hold," Revan remarked.

**Rhen Var, 289ATGS**

Rana stood in the dropship as it glided down toward Rhen Var. The fifteen-year-old twi'lek looked across to her master, eyes locking with his through the visor. The man in question had become something of a father figure to her since she had started to speak to him in something other than threats and insults two months previously. He had certainly done more for her in that time than her true father ever had before she had killed him when she was eleven.

"We'll be at the LZ in ten seconds, ladies and gentlemen. Get ready to hop out," the pilot instructed.

Revan and Rana stepped to the front, standing right next to the door. When the door opened, the two Force users stepped out into the snow and turned toward the battle. They had landed at the top of a cliff, as had the rest of the attack force. The forward elements had already moved down but had been engaged by Mandalorians. As more Republic soldiers landed at the top of the cliff, they were forced to go to the end of the cliff before doubling back along the bottom.

Revan walked to the edge of the cliff and looked down at the battle below. Rana stood a few metres behind him waiting for him.

"Master, we should go to the battle. We are unlikely to make a difference from here," Rana pointed out when her patience ran out.

"Indeed. Come along then, Rana," Revan told her.

Revan drew his violet lightsaber in his right hand while a crimson lightsaber activated in his left. Turning to face the landing ships, Revan leaned back and allowed himself to plummet from the cliff. Horrified, the twi'lek ran to the edge of the cliff.

Revan soared through the air, cloak billowing behind him as he fell. As he neared the ground and the No Man's Land between the two forces, Revan flipped over and landed in a crouch, lightsabers out to both sides and cloak splayed out behind him. In their shock that someone had leapt from the top of the hundred metre tall cliffs, both sides stopped firing momentarily. Revan took the opportunity to start running.

Revan reached the Mandalorian lines quickly, crossing the twenty metres in half a second. Bringing his sabers around, he took the head off one Mandalorian while deflecting a number of blaster bolts into another. Spinning his violet blade around to send a few blaster bolts away from himself, he raised his left hand and unleashed a barrage of Force Lightning toward a group of Mandalorians. The barrage was so powerful that the Mandalorians were burned beyond recognition instantly within their armour.

As Revan continued to tear through the Mandalorians with the ease and efficiency associated with the Dark Knight of the Republic, he noticed Rana join the fray. With a crack, her blue lightwhip slashed a trio of Mandalorians across the chest while her crimson lightsaber decapitated another. With the two Force users tearing through the Mandalorians' force, the battle was concluded quickly.

The two put their weapons away as they walked toward each other. Rana rubbed her bare arms in an effort to warm them.

"Why are you not cold, master? Despite the armour, you should be almost as cold as I am," Rana asked.

"You were the one who didn't think to put something else on," Revan countered.

Rana glared at him as she stood there shivering, dressed in the exact same clothes she had worn during their initial meeting on Kashyyyk. After a moment, Revan took pity on the girl who had become like a daughter to him.

"Use the Force. The Force will keep you warm, if you can get it to do so," Revan explained.

This resulted in a fifteen-minute lesson in how to keep warm with the Force. With that done, Revan led Rana back up the cliff to the FOB. After identifying the enemy's main base on the planet, the Republic force moved out. As they reached the snowy ridge overlooking the base, the commanding officer and the two Grey Jedi lay down and examined the base.

"Shit! Those are starship cannons! We try to get close and it'll be a massacre!" the officer muttered.

"No it won't leave it to me," Revan instructed, preparing to rise.

"What do you mean, sir?" the soldier asked.

"Wait here," Revan ordered.

"Why?" the officer asked.

"You'll see," Revan responded, standing.

Rana leapt up after him.

"What are you planning?" she demanded.

"You still have doubts about my lessons. You do not truly believe the Force is as powerful as I claim. This will help solve that. Wait here with the soldiers," Revan told her.

With that, Revan started down the ridge. As the Republic forces began to arrange themselves across the top of the ridge, the black-cloaked figure walked toward the base. As he approached, one of the cannons fired to his right, sending snow and ice flying. Revan didn't slow his step or even flinch as shrapnel bounced off his armour. After the cannon tried a few more times to scare him away, the Mandalorians seemed to decide to simply blow him up. As the cannon fired, time seemed to slow down for everyone.

The cannon blast impacted Revan with a massive explosion, engulfing the lone figure entirely. As the Republic forces froze in shock and horror, the Mandalorian commander smirked at his subordinates.

"Only mortal," he sneered.

He turned away to walk off down the barricade. The gunner chuckled as he watched the fireball begin to recede before he noticed something amongst the flames. He called the commander back and they watched the screen in shock.

Walking from the explosion, flames licking at his cloak, was the Dark Knight of the Republic. His armour and robes were not so much as scorched and he hadn't even slowed his steps in the slightest. As he approached, he raised his hand toward the cannon.

"Fire again," the commander ordered.

As the gunner fired, the cannon exploded. The explosion instantly killed both the gunner and the commander. Down below, Revan smirked as he released the barrier he had created around the cannon. With the aid of the Force, Revan leapt across the gap between him and the top of the barricade. Once more drawing on the Force, Revan raced around the barricade, tearing apart every Mandalorian he passed. Every cannon was left intact as the Grey Jedi wiped out their operators.

With the barricade cleared, Revan leapt down into the centre of the compound.

For twenty minutes, the Republic forces waited. Then, just as the commander was preparing to organise an attack, the doors to the base opened, revealing two Mandalorians clutching at their throats as they floated a dozen centimetres above the ground. As the two continued struggling, the black-cloaked figure of Revan stepped between them, left hand raised in a loose fist. As he clenched his fist, the two Mandalorians stopped struggling and fell into the snow.

Within hours, the Holonet was covered with tales of Revan Surik, Dark Knight of the Republic, tearing through a base containing roughly six hundred Mandalorians in less than half an hour, _single-handedly_. Where these stories inspired hope in the Republic and its citizens, the Mandalorians' fear of the man increased a hundredfold. Revan became the stuff of stories told in hushed whispers around campfires, in the Republic in voices of awe and by the Mandalorians in voices of fear.

To Rana, it proved once and for all that her master was correct in his view that the Force was limitless. If it allowed one man, who claimed to have barely scratched the surface of its potential, to tear through six hundred of the best warriors in the galaxy in fewer than thirty minutes, the power a fully trained Force user would wield must be unfathomable.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: Very brief this time. The poll will be going down sometime tomorrow, probably about 12:00GMT. If you want me to take note of your opinion, get a bloody move on. Sorry if it seems to move too quickly for you, but it is my story and I just happen to write it like this.**

**Rhen Var, 289ATGS**

Rana ducked under the Mandalorian's vibroblade before stabbing her lightsaber through his chest. Her cloak swirled around her as she spun around, decapitating another Mandalorian. Her lightwhip cracked as she slashed it at a group of Mandalorians, tearing their chests open.

Three months had passed since the Republic had arrived at Rhen Var. Three months since her master had torn through six hundred Mandalorians with ease. After the initial victory, the two hundred Republic ships had taken positions in orbit, under the command of her master when he returned to the _Dauntless_. Every attempt by the Mandalorians to retake the planet had failed. For two months, Revan had prevented them from so much as setting foot on the planet. Then three hundred Mandalorian ships had arrived, smashed through the seventy remaining Republic ships and landed forces on the planet.

As far as High Command was concerned, Rhen Var was lost two months ago when the fleet's numbers dropped below a hundred and so they would not receive any reinforcements. Despite this, Revan refused to surrender the system. On the ground, Republic soldiers faced off with Mandalorians, preventing them from taking total control of the planet. Revan's fleet, augmented by ships retreating from beyond the Tion Cluster, constantly harassed the Mandalorian fleet, ensuring they were unable to focus on the planet.

Revan's plan was working exactly as he had planned. The fact that the Mandalorians were unable to bomb the planet was excellent but Revan was still there for a different reason. The Republic often seemed incapable of standing on an even footing with the Mandalorians and if a system on a hyperspace lane fell, relief would often take a while to reach the systems beyond that system. Revan was proving that the Republic hold its own against the odds but on top of that, he was buying time for those beyond the Tion Cluster to retreat.

Over the three months, Rana had earned the respect of the Republic soldiers she had fought with. When Revan had returned to the _Dauntless_ to oversee the fleet, Rana had stayed on the ground and continued to aid the Republic soldiers. The Republic soldiers had taken to calling her the Red Knight of the Republic and her presence was almost as much a guarantee of victory as Revan's. After the fleet's numbers had dropped below a hundred, Revan had remained with the ships to keep the Mandalorian forces at bay, leaving her the only Force user on the planet.

As Rana entered the FOB after the skirmish, she found Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart speaking with Revan's hologram.

"There is no other option, Brigadier. You and your soldiers have performed admirably but the Mandalorians have us outnumbered in space and it is only a matter of time before my ships can no longer keep them preoccupied. There is also the fact that we are running out of supplies. I'm afraid this is my final decision, Brigadier. You had better get ready, we'll be in position within the hour," Revan told the Brigadier before he vanished.

"What's going on, Brigadier?" Rana asked as she approached.

The Brigadier looked over his shoulder at her before sighing.

"We're pulling out in one hour. What is left of the fleet will move in as close as they can so that our dropships can get us off the planet. Damn shame to leave after all the work we've put in to holding this place," the Brigadier explained.

"Agreed. But if those are Revan's orders then that is what we must do. It has been an honour serving with you, Brigadier," Rana stated, saluting for the first time.

"Likewise, miss Zathera. Maybe we'll work together again sometime. Now then, would you mind helping us prepare to leave?" Lethbridge-Stewart asked.

"Of course. Where do you need me?" Rana responded.

As the Republic forces on the ground prepared to leave, Revan readied his fleet to get them out. Of the original two hundred ships, very few remained. Despite the arrival of retreating forces from beyond the Tion Cluster, there were now a mere twenty-seven battered Republic warships left in the system. The Mandalorian fleet currently numbered around one hundred and eighty due to Revan's efforts. Now, Revan was preparing to execute quite possibly his most unconvential plan yet.

As the _Dauntless_ drifted amongst the asteroid belt, accompanied by the other twenty-six vessels, Revan activated a false distress beacon. The beacon had been placed in the asteroid belt on the opposite side of the system from Rhen Var. As the beacon received the activation command, it started transmitting its signal.

"This is Vice Admiral Surik of the _Dauntless_! My fleet has taken heavy damage! We need immediate assistance!" was the message broadcast across all frequencies.

The instant the Mandalorian fleet heard the message, roughly a hundred and fifty of them turned from the planet and raced toward the other side of the system. The remaining thirty drifted aimlessly above the planet, awaiting their fellows' return. Their fellows would not, however, be coming back.

As soon as the Mandalorian fleet entered the asteroid belt, Revan detonated the improvised mines. A hundred salvaged starship reactors exploded instantly, sending fire, ice and rock flying in all directions. The Mandalorian fleet was destroyed almost instantly, one hundred and fifty once-mighty warships reduced to scrap metal and debris in an instant. As the explosion registered on the remaining vessels sensors, Revan contacted them.

"This is Vice Admiral Surik to the remaining Mandalorian vessels. Run," Revan warned.

As expected, half the remaining Mandalorian vessels turned and raced toward the asteroid belt, toward the source of the call. Or rather, toward the comm. relay Revan had bounced the call through. Once more, salvaged ship reactors, a dozen of them, detonated, destroying the Mandalorian vessels.

The seventeen vessels remaining in orbit pulled together around the remaining dreadnaught, waiting for Revan's fleet to arrive. This proved to be their undoing as a quartet of reactors, manoeuvred by Revan using the Force, detonated among them, vaporising those in the centre of the formation and reducing those at the edge to scrap.

With the Mandalorian fleet reduced to scrap and dust, the twenty-seven Republic ships advanced out of the asteroid belt. As they took up positions in orbit, dropships left their hangars and sped toward the planet. As they began to land, the Republic soldiers began to load all the remaining supplies and themselves into the dropships.

Within the hour, only a hundred soldiers remained on the planet's surface along with Rana Zathera. Unfortunately, this was the time the Mandalorians chose to mount an assault in an effort to take out what they could. As almost a thousand Mandalorians advanced toward the Republic dropships, Rana signalled the remaining forces to go. Stepping forward, she drew her lightsaber and her lightwhip.

"Come on then, boys and girls. Let's dance," Rana sneered.

In a flash, the twi'lek had crossed the distance between herself and the Mandalorians. Spinning around, her lightwhip slashed at those out of the reach of her whirling crimson blade. As she danced among the Mandalorians, the dropships started to leave as the remaining Republic soldiers fired on the Mandalorians. As more and more Mandalorians replaced those who fell, Rana began to tire. Before she could tire too much, her earpiece crackled.

"Rana, shield yourself," Revan ordered, sounding slightly panicked.

The young woman ducked and wrapped the Force around herself for protection. Not even a moment later, three Republic bombers raced above her head. Their payloads tore the Mandalorians to shreds, massacring them all in moments. Rana's shield almost fell during the bombing run due to exhaustion until Revan sent her energy across their still-developing bond, revitalising her and allowing her to hold the shield.

As the bombers soared into the sky once more, a dropship landed beside her. She leapt aboard and waited as they soared out of the atmosphere.

_**Dauntless**_**, 289ATGS**

Once the final dropship, carrying Rana, had reached the hangar, the _Dauntless_ and her companions had left the system. As they were leaving, a Mandalorian fleet had arrived, thankfully too late to stop them. As the _Dauntless_ raced through hyperspace toward Coruscant, Revan strode down the corridor, absolutely furious, Rana at his heels.

"I fail to see what you're angry with," Rana stated, question obvious.

"You," came the short reply.

"Me? Why? What have I done?" Rana asked, shocked.

Revan stopped and turned toward her in the middle of the empty corridor.

"Because you engaged the Mandalorians. We had orbital superiority; we saw them coming miles away. Did that not occur to you?" Revan snarled.

"What?! I was a bit preoccupied with the _one thousand Mandalorians_. I was trying to make sure the soldiers got away," Rana retorted, annoyed.

"I had already dispatched bombers to deal with them. You need to think more. I was not about to miss a thousand Mandalorians on the move," Revan growled.

"I'm terribly sorry, _father_. I should have paid more attention and thought things through in the way the almighty Revan would," Rana mocked.

Her words caused Revan to pause.

"What did you call me?" Revan asked.

Rana blushed and looked like a deer in the headlights when she realised that her emotions had caused her control to slip.

"N-nothing," Rana stuttered.

"No, I'm pretty sure I heard you call me "father"," Revan stated, grinning slightly beneath his mask.

"W-well, you've been m-more of a father to me th-than my real father was," Rana managed to mutter, worried.

Beneath his mask, Revan scowled, wondering what her father had been like.

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, you're like a daughter to me. Despite only knowing you for nine months and you insulting or threatening me for most of that time," Revan told her, stepping forward to wrap her in a hug.

Rana wrapped arms sround him and buried her face in his shoulder.

"I guess what I'm saying is, I don't want to lose you, Rana. So don't you go dying on me yet, you hear me?" Revan told the girl.

Rana only nodded slightly, face still buried in his shoulder. After a minute, Revan felt that was enough.

"Right, come on. Your shield was pathetic. Let's go work on that," Revan commanded.

"But, master," Rana groaned, pulling her head off his shoulder.

"No buts. I don't care that we've just had a big heart-to-heart, that shield was sloppy and we need to correct that," Revan stated, extracting himself from her arms and turning down the corridor.

With a sigh, Rana hurried after him toward their training room. Much to Rana's dismay, Revan was true to his word and they spent six hours out of the eight-hour journey working of Force Barriers. Eventually, after a brief discussion about their prior conversation, Revan allowed her to go to her room and sleep.

**Coruscant, 289ATGS**

Once the _Dauntless_ had reached Coruscant, Revan had left immediately, allowing Rana to rest properly for the first time in three months. First he went to meet with High Command where he was berated for disobeying a direct order from Supreme Commander Tarrick. Only the fact that his efforts had not only allowed a large amount of assets to be rescued from beyond the Tion Cluster and that his actions had boosted Republic morale and drawn Mandalorian forces to the relatively-unimportant Rhen Var saved him from being demoted or discharged. All involved had been given two weeks of leave except him, who only got a week.

After that was complete, he had gone to pick up some documents that he had requested. Then, after arranging to meet Meetra and Alek later in the week, he had returned to the small apartment he had bought last time he had leave on Coruscant. The apartment consisted of a main room (which included the kitchen), two bedrooms and a refresher. He hung his cloak up by the door and placed the mask and armour in a cupboard in his bedroom, leaving him in just some loose fitting trousers and a loose tunic. After sending a text message to Rana on the _Dauntless_, Revan sat down behind his desk in the main room and started filling out the forms he had collected.

An hour later, the door chimed. When Revan opened it, Rana swept past him and into the apartment, hanging her cloak next to his as she walked by. Revan shook his head slightly in amusement as he closed the front door again. Rana wandered into the main room and sat down on the sofa. Revan walked in after her and went back to his desk. Rana looked over to him from her place on the sofa.

"Master, can I watch the Holonet?" Rana almost whined.

"Yes, fine," Revan answered, not looking up from what he was writing.

This piqued Rana's interest and she sidled over to see what he was doing. Before she even crossed half the distance, Revan suddenly stopped writing and threw the datapad at her.

"Catch," Revan told her as it left his hand.

Reacting quickly, Rana reached out with the Force, only to find herself blocked. She fumbled with the datapad for a moment before she got a grip on it. Looking down, she found herself looking at Galactic Republic Official Legal Document Number 34.

"What's this, master?" Rana asked, glancing at Revan who now sat with his fingers interlaced and wrists leaning on the edge of the desk.

"Adoption papers. If you're up for it, fill in the blanks and, according to Republic law, you will become my daughter," Revan explained, smirking slightly.

Without a moment's hesitation, Rana started filling out the form, walking back to the sofa as she did so. Revan smiled slightly as he watched her. After a few minutes, Rana stood up again and walked over to Revan, who had spun his seat around and was staring out of the window.

"Done. What do we do now?" Rana asked, curious.

"Now, we go visit the Galactic Courts of Justice Building to hand this in," Revan stated, moving toward the door.

After visiting the Galactic Courts of Justice Building and handing in the documents, the pair wandered to a nearby café. Finding seats, they ordered drinks and lunch. Once their drinks arrived, Revan raised his glass slightly.

"To my new daughter, Rana Zathera Surik," Revan stated, inclining his head toward her.

"To my new father, Revan Surik," Rana retorted, inclining her head toward him.

Tapping their glasses together, the pair grinned at each other, amused and, above all, happy.


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: Poll is now closed. Result: two out of three people want to see Meetra and soon. So, this chapter is soon as far as I'm concerned. Enter Meetra Surik into Revan's War in a major role. Also, I'm giving ships more weapons deliberately. It has never been overly noticeable before but here, numbers are specifically mentioned that exceed those used in Star Wars by a large margin.**

**Disclaimer: Some of the views in this chapter may offend some people. The author would like it to be noted that these are not his views, merely the views of the character.**

**Coruscant, 289ATGS**

When Revan and Rana entered the café Revan had arranged to meet Meetra and Alek in, Revan looked around. Spotting his sister in a booth in the corner, he motioned for Rana to follow him. As they approached, Meetra looked up from her datapad. She was dressed in the siblings' favoured version of the Jedi robes, a combination of black and dark grey. Rising, she looked the pair over, a bit shocked by Rana's tattoos. She stepped forward to embrace her brother as he approached.

"Revan, it has been a while. How are you?" Meetra asked.

"I'm good. Now then, Meetra, allow me to introduce you to Rana Zathera Surik, my apprentice and adoptive daughter," Revan told his sister, indicating Rana as he spoke.

Meetra stepped back and took a moment to look over Rana a bit more closely.

"I guess that would make me your aunt then?" Meetra asked the girl.

"Er, I guess," Rana said, cautiously.

"Well come here then," Meetra told the younger woman, holding her arms out.

Hesitantly, Rana stepped forward and embraced her. Revan smirked slightly at her awkwardness.

"Welcome to the Surik family, Rana. Unfortunate that, out of the two of us, you had to meet the stupid one first," Meetra joked, not releasing the girl.

"But she met me first, not you," Revan stated, faking confusion.

Meetra reached out with one hand, slapping Revan lightly on the arm. As the Jedi released the younger girl, she took her seat back in the booth. Rana sat down in the middle with Revan opposite his sister.

"So where's Alek? I thought he was going to be joining us," Revan asked his sister.

"Yes, he was. Then the Council decided to send him off on a mission," Meetra sighed in annoyance.

"When?"

"This morning. Literally about an hour ago," Meetra explained.

"I see the Council's timing is as good as ever. Wonderful," Revan muttered.

"Yes, well, they were going to send me on a mission as well. I think they were trying to stop us from meeting up with you," the older woman explained.

"Wait, you said they were going to send you on a mission. Why didn't they?" Rana asked.

"Because I pulled a Revan. I resigned," Meetra elaborated at their confused looks.

Revan's head met the table with a resounding thud as their drinks arrived.

"What did you do that for?" Revan asked, raising his head.

"Because I agree with you. The Jedi aren't doing enough at this point. The Republic needs my help so I'm going to go join them once we're done," Meetra explained with a shrug.

Revan shook his head in bemusement.

"I thought you weren't going to join me on the frontlines," Revan stated.

"I wasn't. Then the Jedi Council kept claiming you were a liar and had fallen to the dark side. Then there is also the fact that the Republic is slowly failing despite your efforts. I want to do what I can to help so here I am," Meetra explained.

"Psh. Dark side, light side. I don't believe in those concepts anymore," Revan snorted.

"Yes, I gathered as much from your recent messages. I fail to see where you got those ideas but, to be honest, I don't see anything wrong with them," Meetra commented.

"See, told you so," Revan told Rana, smirking.

The twi'lek merely rolled her eyes.

The group sat and chatted as they had their lunch. Once they'd paid and left, the two Grey Jedi bade farewell to the former Jedi. As they returned to their apartment, Meetra climbed into the speeder she had "borrowed" from the Jedi Temple's hangar and turned toward Aurek base. As she approached, her comm. crackled on.

"This is Aurek Base Control. Identify yourself," ordered the male voice at the other end.

"This is Meetra Surik. I wish to speak with Admiral Forn Dodonna," Meetra requested, just like Revan had told her to.

"Understood. Proceed to landing pad 91-Aurek. You will be escorted to the Admiral's office from there," the voice instructed before terminating the connection.

As Meetra guided the speeder down onto the landing pad, three soldiers approached the speeder. As she climbed out, the leader stepped forward.

"Meetra Surik? Sergeant Kathnan. This way please," the soldier said, moving toward the door.

Meetra fell into step behind him; with the other two soldiers on either side of her a few steps back. They walked along numerous hallways and passed through a couple of checkpoints on their way to Dodonna's office. Eventually, they reached a door that had "Fleet Admiral Forn Dodonna, Commanding Officer of the Third Naval Division" written in black letters across it. The three soldiers turned and left while Meetra handed her lightsaber over to the security desk by the door before entering the room.

"Ah, Meetra Surik I presume. Fleet Admiral Forn Dodonna," the Fleet Admiral introduced herself, stepping around from behind her desk to shake Meetra's hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Fleet Admiral," Meetra stated, smiling slightly at the older woman.

"How can I help you, miss Surik? If your brother is any indication, I doubt you're here for no reason," Dodonna commented.

"You are correct. I'm here to volunteer my services in the defence of the Republic," Meetra informed the Admiral.

Dodonna paused, leaning back against her desk as she looked at the former Jedi.

"You know, those are almost the exact words your brother used. Very well then. Welcome to the Republic Navy, Captain Surik. The _Stormbreaker_, one of our _Hammerhead_-class cruisers, will be placed under your command. Collect your things; you will be accompanying the _Valiant_ and the rest of my force. We're going to Ord Mantell with Admiral Barint's fleet," Dodonna told the former Jedi.

"Understood, ma'am. Do you mind if I keep my robes?" Meetra asked.

"Not at all. Wear them if you want," Dodonna remarked, sitting back down behind her desk.

As Meetra prepared to leave, Dodonna spoke up once more.

"We leave in an hour. A dropship will be down to pick you up, Captain. All relevant data will be given to you when you leave. Dismissed," Dodonna commanded.

Meetra saluted before turning to leave.

_**Stormbreaker**_**, 289ATGS**

As Dodonna's fleet raced through hyperspace toward Ord Mantell, Meetra stood on the bridge, black cloak draped across her shoulders. The _Stormbreaker_ had been recently completed and had needed a Captain, a role that Dodonna had seen fit to give Meetra. Meetra walked over to the holotable in the centre of the bridge and looked at the latest intel on the Mandalorian forces present in the system.

"Standby to exit hyperspace in T-minus one minute," reported the navigations officer, a twi'lek known as Lieutenant Natal.

Meetra looked up at the swirling vortex of hyperspace, thinking of how to best to deal with the coming battle.

"Exiting hyperspace in 5… 4… 3… 2… 1… Exiting hyperspace," Natal reported as he pulled back on the lever.

As Dodonna's fleet dropped out of hyperspace, they found outnumbered Republic ships clashing with Mandalorian ships around the planet. Dodonna immediately contacted every ship in her fleet.

"All ships, hold formation and open fire. Do not move out of formation," Dodonna ordered.

As her fleet added their fire to that of Barint's fleet, the now-outnumbered Mandalorians were forced to return to formations rather than chasing the scattered ships of Admiral Barint's fleet. The _Stormbreaker_'s bow guns let rip, tearing a Mandalorian assault ship to shreds. The _Valiant_, one of the first 2,600m _Centurion_-class battlecruisers, opened fire with fifty of her sixty heavy turbolasers, vaporising one of the battleships almost instantly. Republic point defence turrets opened fire as Mandalorian basilisks, fighters and gunships swarmed around the warships.

As the remains of Barint's fleet fell into formation with Dodonna's, the Republic forces were able to inflict significant casualties on the Mandalorian fleet. However, the Republic was not without casualties. Meetra watched the holotable as a _Hammerhead_ cruiser exploded under fire from a trio of assault ships before fire from the _Stormbreaker_ and a pair of _Praetorian_s tore through their shields and armour.

Meetra looked over the battlfield with the tactical eye that was common in the Surik family. She watched as the cluster of _Kandosii_-class dreadnaughts tore apart a few more Republic warships. As she examined the formation, an idea began to form in her mind. Once she finished thinking her plan through, she contacted the Fleet Admiral.

"Fleet Admiral, I have an idea for dealing with those dreadnaughts. The _Valiant_, _Stormbreaker_, three other _Hammerhead_s and ten _Praetorian_s microjump to the point directly behind the dreadnaughts and fire on their engines before they can redirect their shields," Meetra suggested.

"Alright then. Prepare to jump," Dodonna ordered after a moment's pause.

The _Valiant_, _Stormbreaker_, three _Hammerhead_s and ten _Praetorian_s jumped into hyperspace for a moment, reappearing to the side of the battle. Realigning themselves, the small force jumped once more. When they reappeared behind the dreadnaughts, lasers and missiles streaked across the space between the Mandalorian and Republic vessels. After the first volley, only two dreadnaughts remained of the ten that had existed moments before. Moments later, they too ceased to exist as the combined firepower of the fifteen ships vaporised their engines.

With the most powerful ships in their fleet gone, the Mandalorians didn't last much longer. Caught in fire from two sides, the Mandalorian fleet soon crumbled, granting the Republic fleet orbital control. As the dropships departed for the planet, Meetra on one of them, Dodonna contacted Barint.

"Admiral Barint, would you mind explaining to me why ignored a direct order from both myself and the Supreme Commander and engaged the Mandalorians?" Dodonna asked with a distinct air of forced calm.

"Well, ma'am. When we first arrived, there weren't as many Mandalorians as expected. We outnumbered them by a three to one margin. However, once we engaged them, they received reinforcements. At that point they had us outnumbered three to two," Barint attempted to explain, wringing his hands in his nervousness.

"Admiral Barint, the fact that the numbers were in your favour does _not_ give you the authority to go against an order from the Supreme Commander of the Republic Navy!" Dodonna exploded, furious.

"Yes, ma'am," Barint murmured, apparently on the verge of cowering.

"I will leave it this time. However, the Supreme Commander will hear about this when we return to Coruscant," Dodonna warned him before terminating the connection.

On Barint's flagship, the Admiral sneered as soon as the holoprojector shut off. In his opinion, it was disgraceful that a woman had been made a Fleet Admiral. As far as Barint was concerned, women belonged in one of three places; in bed, in a kitchen or beneath a man. Women didn't know how to lead, the very idea that they could was idiotic. Why they were even allowed in the military, Barint didn't know. The fact that women were in command positions was part of the reason the Republic was failing in Barint's opinion.

While Barint stood on his ship, uselessly seething about what he perceived to be the flaws of the Republic, Meetra's dropship reached the planet below. Stepping out onto the plain, Meetra drew her double-bladed silver lightsaber. With a quick glance across the battlefield, Meetra sprinted toward the nearest Mandalorians. Spinning her blade, she flipped over the blade as she cut one Mandalorian in half before decapitating another in the same swing. As she danced through the Mandalorian squad, her silver double-bladed weapon spun around her.

As the battle progressed, Meetra tore through Mandalorians with grace and elegance. While she may have found it more challenging than Revan, fighting the Mandalorians, she still danced across the frontlines in a blur of black and glowing silver. Much like Revan and Rana, her presence on the battlefield inspired the Republic soldiers while striking fear into the Mandalorians. For three hours, Meetra fought against the Mandalorians form one side of the battlefield to the other.

As she returned to the FOB as the Republic was mopping up the last of the Mandalorians, she walked up to Brigadier Rendar standing by the holotable.

"Captain Surik. Thank you for the assistance," the Brigadier stated as she approached.

"No problem, Brigadier. I'm going to have a lie down. If you need me, feel free to wake me," Meetra told him.

Rendar nodded to her as she turned to leave again.


	11. Chapter 11

**No Author's Note except a reminder that spoken Mandalorian is in bold.**

**Coruscant, 289ATGS**

"Our top story tonight; a fleet under Fleet Admiral Dodonna has liberated Ord Mantell. After initial problems, Dodonna's fleet was able to secure orbital dominance. When the ground campaign began, the Republic was able to beat the Mandalorians back. After nearly seven hours of fighting, Republic forces had fully freed Ord Mantell. Of particular interest in this battle is this footage."

Revan watched as footage of Meetra battling Mandalorians on the surface was played on the news.

"The identity of the Jedi in question is still unsure. However, rumours are circulating that the young woman is in fact the sister of Revan Surik, the Dark Knight of the Republic. If this is the case, we can expect to see great things from her. In other news, the senator of Corellia…"

Revan turned and left the room, leaving Rana to watch the news alone. He walked into his room and sat on his bed. He reached across to his bedside table and picked up one of two pictures that rested there. This one showed him, Meetra, Alek and Bastila together a few months before he left. They were walking down a hallway side-by-side, laughing at some long forgotten joke. Revan was on the far left of the picture, arm draped across Meetra's shoulders and leaning forward, grinning at Alek, who was on Meetra's other side, arms raised in demonstration of whatever was being said. Bastila walked on Alek's other side, looking across toward the others. The picture reminded him of happier times, before he had gone to the Republic's aid.

Then he reached for the other picture on his bedside table, this one more recent. It had been taken a few days ago when he had taken Rana to visit the Galactic Museum. Revan was stood in front of the Museum, laughing as Rana clung to his back, also laughing. It was one of the few pictures that existed of the two of them together off the battlefield.

As Revan examined the two pictures, lost in his reminiscing, Rana allowed herself to briefly be distracted from the Holonet.

"Dad! Message for you!" Rana called.

Revan placed the two pictures back down on his bedside table, getting back up from where he had been sitting. Neither of them knew when she had started calling him "dad" but neither of them minded as long as they weren't fighting, training or in a military setting. Revan walked back into the main room and across to his desk. Opening the message, his eyes widened in shock before he quickly typed a response.

"Rana! Get your things we're leaving!" Revan shouted, already running into his room.

Rana didn't question the instruction, turning of the viewscreen and rushing into her room. Five minutes later, the two were seated in Revan's speeder, racing toward the dock that housed the _Dauntless_.

"What's going on?" Rana asked as they raced through the skylanes, Revan's military-tagged speeder getting right of way.

"Apparently, Admiral Barint has decided it would be a good idea to defect to the Mandalorians. The _Dauntless_ and a handful of other ships are going to intercept him before he can give them any information," Revan explained as he swerved around a bus.

"So, where is he headed?" Rana asked.

"Onderon," Revan stated.

"WHAT? Master, Onderon is one of the best defended planets under Mandalorian control," Rana pointed out.

"Yup. That is why we're going to cut him off at Zeltros," Revan explained, landing the speeder and jumping out.

Grabbing his things, Revan started striding toward the docked _Dauntless_. Rana hurried to catch up with him, weaving among the returning crewmembers. Their leave had apparently been cut short due to this crisis. Thankfully, due to the respect the crew held for him, Revan's orders to depart within fifteen minutes were followed. As the _Hammerhead_-class cruiser raced into the atmosphere, the other ships in the taskforce accelerated into parallel courses. At Revan's command, the group of ships accelerated into hyperspace.

**Zel System, 289ATGS**

When Revan's ships arrived in the Zel system, the fleet arrayed themselves across the system. The lone _Hammerhead_, three _Praetorian_s and eight _Foray_s scattered across the system, tractor beams ready. After waiting for nearly an hour, one of the _Foray_s spotted Barint's flagship, the _Incorruptible_, entering the system. Immediately, smaller ship latched on with its tractor beam, soon joined by another nearby _Foray_ and a _Praetorian_. The remaining vessels raced to aid them as the three vessels struggled against the larger one. Within a minute, another two _Foray_s had latched on, followed closely by the _Dauntless_.

Normally, the _Dauntless_ would not have been able to hold her sister ship but with the added tractor beams of the smaller ships, the _Incorruptible_ was trapped. As the remainder of the small fleet arrived, they surrounded the _Incorruptible_, preventing it from moving in any direction. Revan opened a comm. channel to the _Incorruptible_.

"This is Vice Admiral Revan Surik to Admiral Harkin Barint. In the name of the Galactic Republic and with the power invested in me by Supreme Commander Tarrick, you are under arrest under suspicion of treason. Failure to come quietly will result in your immediate execution," Revan warned.

After a moment, Barint's voice came over the link.

"How dare you! I am Admiral Harkin Barint, a Vice Admiral such as yourself has no authority over me!" Barint bellowed.

"I am acting on Supreme Commander Tarrick's authority. You are under orders from the Supreme Commander to surrender yourself and your vessel into my custody for the journey to Coruscant," Revan demanded.

"Fine. We shall return to Coruscant with you, _Vice Admiral_, and I will see you court-martialled for this," sneered the Admiral.

"Negative. By order of the Supreme Commander, you are to board the _Dauntless_ where you will be detained until we reach Coruscant."

"And if I refuse?" Barint growled.

"Then I shall come to collect you myself and we can add resisting arrest to any charges levelled against you," Revan stated, sounding almost bored.

"Fine. I will be there momentarily."

The channel promptly went dead.

"Ready the secondary tractor beam. Lock onto his shuttle as soon as leaves the hangar and bring it into one of ours. Organise three squads for security in the hangar, including one to escort him to the brig," Revan ordered.

As the bridge crew carried out Revan's orders, a shuttle left one of the hangars of the _Incorruptible_. It immediately started to turn toward the edge of the system but started travelling backwards as the tractor beam pulled it in.

"I guess we'll be adding resisting arrest after all," Revan joked, earning chuckles from the crewmembers.

"I thought you said it was only suspicion of treason?" Frenso asked from beside him.

"Yes, because he was more likely to cooperate if he thought we didn't know for sure," Rana explained her father's logic, earning a nod of agreement from the man in question.

"I see. Ingenious," Frenso commented.

Revan merely shrugged before leaning across to Rana and muttering something in her ear. The twi'lek nodded and turned to leave the bridge.

"She's going to aid the security teams," Revan explained at Frenso's confused face.

In an hour, the _Incorruptible_ had been evacuated and prepared for its new role. When the other Republic ships departed once more in the direction of Coruscant, the _Incorruptible_ accelerated into hyperspace toward Onderon.

**Japrael System, 289ATGS**

The Mandalorian ships in the Japrael system drifted lazily around the system, almost five hundred of them. As they drifted among the eight planets, constantly on alert, all eyes continually looked to Dxun.

Currently in orbit of Dxun was Mandalore the Ultimate's new flagship. The seven-kilometre _Beviin be Mand'alor_ (_Spear of Mandalore_ in Galactic Basic) was the largest and most powerful warship in the known galaxy. As far as the Mandalorians were concerned, she was irreplaceable and invincible. With the resources and time needed for her construction, the Mandalorians could have constructed a small fleet but had opted for the symbol of might that was the _Beviin be Mand'alor_.

The presence of the mighty vessel also indicated the presence of Mandalore the Ultimate himself. True to that implication, the Mandalore was currently on Dxun, inspecting the Mandalorian activities and preparing for an assault on the Colonies and, eventually, the Core.

As the _Incorruptible_ exited hyperspace near Onderon, Revan looked out at the system. None of the Mandalorian ships moved to attack the cruiser, having obviously been expecting it. Upon noticing the _Beviin be Mand'alor_, Revan made his decision.

He gave the order for the _Incorruptible_ to accelerate, watching as the massive starship grew larger. As the Mandalorians realised that the _Incorruptible_ wasn't slowing, Revan used the _Incorruptible_ to relay a message to the Mandalorian fleet.

"**Burn in hell, honourless.**"

A moment later, the _Hammerhead _-class cruiser collided with the _Beviin be Mand'alor_. Normally, this would have had very little effect. However, Revan had packed the _Incorruptible_ with enough explosives to level the entire Senate District four times over. When the _Incorruptible_'s reactor exploded, it detonated all the explosives on the ship. The resulting explosion not only vaporised the _Incorruptible_, it vaporised almost half the _Beviin be Mand'alor_ while the rest was reduced to debris.

And so it was, that the _Beviin be Mand'alor_ never had the opportunity to reach the frontlines. The loss of the _Beviin be Mand'alor_ forced the Mandalorians to postpone their invasion plans, as they had been banking on the massive warship to lead the assault. Revan had, in essence, slowed the Mandalorian advance without firing a shot. Needless to say, Mandalore was not amused.

**Coruscant, 289ATGS**

Revan stood in the office of the Supreme Commander alongside Fleet Admiral Dodonna. Rana had gone back to the apartment to watch something on the Holonet.

"Well done on bringing in Barint, even more so for taking out that Mandalorian warship. Had it ever attacked, I'm not sure the Republic would have been able to defend against it," Tarrick commented grimly.

"Isn't it likely they'll build more?" Dodonna asked.

"The way they reacted when they realised what was going on suggests that it was highly valuable to them. Then there is also the amount of resources required; I would say they could have built a small fleet with those resources. So I would be surprised if they built more," Revan stated.

"I agree. Now then, we find ourselves with a problem. We are lacking an Admiral. Fleet Admiral Dodonna, any suggestions?" Tarrick asked, jokingly.

"Replace him. With the one person in the Third Naval Division suitable to the position," Dodonna stated.

"Excellent idea. Congratulations, Admiral Surik," Tarrick said, holding out an Admiral's insignia.

"With all due respect, you're joking, aren't you?" Revan asked.

"Of course I am. You don't need the insignia, Admiral, everyone knows who you are," Tarrick remarked, putting the insignia away again.

"Understood, sir. Thank you," Revan stated, saluting.

"Both of you are dismissed. Good luck and see you tomorrow," Tarrick said in dismissal.

The two officers saluted before turning to leave. After collecting their weapons from the security desk outside, the two walked through the halls. As they walked, Dodonna started speaking.

"This means that you're expected to attend meetings of High Command whenever you can, Surik. You'll have the ear of the Supreme Commander to an extent. As in, if you need something major, you can go straight to him. It also means that you act as one of my two second in commands within the Third Division," Dodonna explained to him.

"Understood, ma'am," Revan nodded.

"It also means that you'll be on call basically all the time. Only in exceptional circumstances are Admirals and above allowed so-to-speak proper leave. You're also going to be far more involved in the war on a galactic scale," Dodonna continued.

"Basically, I'm expected to help organise fleet deployment," Revan stated, checking he'd understood correctly.

"Precisely. As of now, you are in direct control, and personally responsible for, one ninth of the Republic Navy. Of course, you still answer to me and the Supreme Commander but other than that, you are expected to make the decisions," Dodonna told him.

"Wait, one ninth of the Navy? That's almost three thousand ships!" Revan exclaimed in shock.

"I know. Don't worry, you don't have to command all of them in the field, just make sure they have commanders, go where they have to and that there's enough of them going," Dodonna informed him casually.

"Okay then. This is going to be… interesting. There is one thing; I don't want to be my sister's superior," Revan stated, stopping.

Dodonna turned toward him, looking him in the eye despite the visor.

"So that you can't be accused of favouring her because she is family. Don't worry; Captain Surik's vessel is currently one of the few vessels in my personal entourage. Wherever the _Valiant_ goes, the _Stormbreaker_ goes," Dodonna stated.

"Good, I'm glad she's in good hands so to speak," Revan remarked as they started walking again.

"Speaking of which, you're going to need a permanent escort. An Admiral is obliged to have an escort with them at all times when on the move," Dodonna told him.

"I'll organise that in just a bit," Revan groaned.

"Then there is the matter of the _Dauntless_."

"What do you mean? The _Dauntless _is an excellent ship," Revan argued.

"I'm not saying it isn't a good ship. It is, however, going to be replaced as your flagship. Through here," Dodonna interrupted herself, proceeding down the corridor toward her own office.

They paused to hand over their weapons to the security desk before proceeding toward a door to the left of Dodonna's. In black writing across the door were the words "Admiral Harkin Barint, Second in Command of the Third Naval Division".

"We'll need to get that sign updated. Anyway, the door in the middle is my office. If you need to discuss something in person, feel free to come in, I should be there. The door to the right is Admiral Kalrin Deson's office, your fellow Admiral. It may occasionally occur that you need to speak with him in which case, again, just go in," Dodonna told him.

The two walked into the office. It had been cleared of all of Barint's things, leaving it rather sparsely furnished. A desk sat with its back toward the window that spanned the entire wall, with a powerful energy shield outside, while the other walls were painted "Republic red". A large holotable sat on one side of the office while a set of shelves covered the other wall except for a door.

"The window can turn into a viewscreen on command or when someone contacts you. The holotable would usually start displaying the galaxy and the deployment of fleets when you stepped in but it was turned off to after Barint's arrest. The door over there leads to some quarters for you if you need to stay here overnight or similar. Other than that, you're free to do what you want with the room. Questions?" Dodonna said.

Revan walked behind his new desk and tapped at the computer screen briefly before looking up in shock.

"Yeah, I have a question. Am I meant to be getting 4,000 credits _a day_?" Revan asked.

"Yes. Your surprise tells me you haven't checked your account in a while. Vice Admirals receive the equivalent of about twenty-five hundred credits a day," Dodonna remarked.

"If you don't mind my asking, how much do you get as a Fleet Admiral?" Revan asked her.

"I'm getting 4,200 credits a day. It doesn't increase significantly anymore. I've seen how much the Supreme Commander gets and he only gets about 5,000 credits per day," Dodonna pointed out.

Revan shook his head in amazement.

"That means I'm earning in the region of 292,000 credits a year."

"Yup. Have fun trying to work out what to do with that money," Dodonna commented as she walked out.


	12. Chapter 12

**Still bored.**

**Coruscant, 289ATGS**

Revan sat in the dark meeting room used by High Command. The room was in essence a giant holoprojector, capable of producing a hologram anywhere in the room. Seats were arranged around the room in a rough circle, each with a small desk in front of them. It was in one of these seats, to the right of Dodonna's, that Revan sat. While Revan, Dodonna, Tarrick, Deson and one other were all present in person, the other six members were present by hologram.

"As you can see, the Mandalorians are attacking Bespin. If we bring the fleet from Eriadu to Bespin's aid, they can reinforce the fleet already there," the mirilian Admiral and the only other one present in person, Valin Toriss, explained.

A lot of the other officers in the room nodded in agreement then looked to Revan when he stood up.

"I wouldn't suggest it. The Mandalorians have a large force at Triton, an unimportant system were it not for its proximity to Eriadu. You send a fleet from Eriadu, they will likely save Bespin but Eriadu will fall. That will give the Mandalorians access to the Rimma Trade Route and the Hydian Way, two direct paths to the Core. It would make more sense to amass a fleet from ships from those stationed at Sullust, Malastare and Naboo," Revan pointed out, indicating the systems where ships were stationed.

"But they would take many hours to reach Bespin. It would take a fleet of Admiral Deson's from Eriadu less than an hour to get there," Toriss exclaimed.

"Yes but at the cost of giving the Mandalorians access to the Core. Along the Rimma Trade Route, after Sullust, the only planet with a major force is Thyferra. Along the Hydian Way, if they pass Malastare, we have nothing until Brentaal, which is already dangerously close to Mandalorian home space. If they run along the Rimma Trade Route, they can take Yag'Dhul, which would also give them access to the Corellian Trade Spine. From Bespin, the only one they can access is the Trade Spine. One route is easier to blockade than three," Revan explained.

A lot of the others looked at the map of the area, deep in thought about the contrasting proposals.

"But if we lose Bespin, we lose a major source of Tibanna Gas. We can't fight without Tibanna Gas," Toriss argued.

"Easier than if we have to hold off fleets coming from almost all sides. And besides, if we lose Eriadu and then Yag'Dhul, the Tibanna Gas argument becomes a moot point because the Mandalorians will have cut off the hyperspace lane used to transport it. The fleet at Eriadu will be hard pressed to hold of the Mandalorians as it is, we don't need to make it more difficult by removing some of them," Revan retorted.

As Toriss glared at the calm Revan, Tarrick stood up.

"How long would it take you to organise the ships from Sullust, Malastare and Naboo, Surik?" Tarrick asked him.

"Four hours at least, six hours at most," Revan answered.

"Do it. We can't afford to lose Eriadu. I may not have noticed it earlier but Surik raises a valid point. We don't have the forces deployed to hold them along those hyperspace lanes. Admiral Surik, go organise a fleet," Tarrick ordered.

Revan saluted his superiors and fellows before turning to leave. After collecting his lightsabers from the security desk, Revan made his way to his office as fast as he could, using his priority codes to gain immediate access to the turbolifts. After passing through the checkpoint outside the offices of the commanders of the Third Naval Division, he ran into his office and immediately began deciding which ships he would send. After five minutes, he sent the orders for the temporary fleet of thirty ships under the zeltron Vice Admiral Kaylee Gelendra to rendezvous at Hoth before proceeding to Bespin.

As he looked over the map, he noticed an alert come from his desk. He walked over and checked the message, frowning as he did so. Once he finished reading, he turned to the window and darkened it to a viewscreen and contacted the rest of High Command. As soon as the room appeared on the screen, Revan started talking.

"Sorry to interrupt, ladies and gentlemen, but we have a problem. I've received an emergency broadcast from my fleet at Fondor. They're under attack from the Mandalorians. However, I don't have the ships to aid them. If you can spare them, I need another twenty vessels to defend it," Revan stated.

All eyes in the room widened at his words. The fact that the Mandalorians would attack a world like Fondor, one of the Republic's most important worlds, meant that they were getting extremely confident.

"I have twelve vessels in orbit that can accompany you, Surik. I'll place them under you're command," Deson told his comrade.

"I'll have eight of my ships at Corellia accompany you as well," the Corellian-born Fleet Admiral Derek Antilles added.

"Thank you, gentlemen. We'll depart at once and rendezvous with your ships at Corellia, Fleet Admiral. Surik, out," Revan concluded before deactivating the screen.

_**Bladerunner**_**, 289ATGS**

Revan stood on the bridge of his new flagship, the _Centurion_-class battlecruiser _Bladerunner_. He was the first Admiral to receive one because Tarrick had apparently decided that he deserved/needed it. Some other officers had complained but had soon fallen into line again when Tarrick explained that Revan seemed to spend most of his time in the field as opposed to staying at well-defended planets and directing fleets from there.

As the thirty-two ships of Revan's fleet dropped out of hyperspace, the eight vessels assigned by Fleet Admiral Antilles moved into formation. Their presence increased Revan's fleet to one _Centurion_ battlecruiser, five _Hammerhead_ cruisers, twelve _Praetorians_ and twenty-two _Foray_ blockade runners. As they prepared to jump to hyperspace once more, Revan held them up.

"All ships, I'm plotting our course. Follow this course _exactly_," Revan ordered the fleet.

"Admiral, this doesn't take us along any hyperspace lanes," one of the Captains protested.

A number of the other Captains started to protest as well.

"Ladies and gentlemen, if we were to take the hyperspace lanes, it would take us almost two hours to reach Fondor. This way, it will take us less than one," Revan pointed out.

He smirked behind his visor.

"Trust me, it'll work," Revan stated.

Despite the misgivings of most of the Captains, every ship followed the _Bladerunner_ into hyperspace. True to Revan's word, less than an hour later the fleet emerged from hyperspace at Fondor. The remaining Republic vessels in the system were attempting to keep the Mandalorians back but were failing due to the superior numbers of the Mandalorians.

The arrival of Revan's fleet caught the Mandalorians off-guard. Having expected to be able to deal with the Fondor fleet before Republic reinforcements arrived, their formations left them completely unprepared. Revan's ships opened fire almost the moment they exited hyperspace, tearing almost thirty Mandalorian warships to shreds before they had any chance to react. As the newly arrived Republic ships tore through their engines and armour, the Mandalorians scrambled to adjust their formations. As their lines began to reform in a more suitable formation, the outnumbered Republic vessels continued to pour fire into them.

"Fondor shipyards, this is Admiral Surik. Are there any combat ready ships in the shipyards?" Revan asked, having opened a comm. line.

"Yes but they don't have full crews," the head of the shipyards informed him.

"I don't care. Get them as many crewmen as necessary and get them onto the battlefield," Revan ordered.

"Understood, Admiral. I'll get right on it," the man responded.

"Good. I need those extra ships on the battlefield," Revan reminded before shutting off the link.

As the Republic vessels continued to exchange fire with the Mandalorians, the numerical superiority of the Mandalorians proved to be their greatest asset. The volume of fire from the Mandalorian vessels forced the Republic ships to concentrate their shields at the front, exposing their flanks to the basilisks and starfighters that got past the Republic fighters.

The turning point came when vessels started to leave the shipyards and join the Republic fleet. With the addition of numerous completed and nearly completed ships, the Mandalorians were now the ones outnumbered. As fire continued to pour into them from either side, the Mandalorian fleet began to crumble. In the space of less than fifteen minutes, they had gone from almost assured victory to guaranteed defeat. As the larger Republic vessels hung back and poured fire into the Mandalorian fleet, the frigates and blockade runners started to dart in amongst the Mandalorian ships.

As Republic fire overloaded shields and tore through hulls, the Mandalorians attempted to retreat. Accelerating toward Revan's fleet, they stopped almost all their guns in favour of transferring the power to their engines. As they approached, Revan's ships scattered, providing the Mandalorians with a clear line to open space.

Or rather, an apparently clear line.

As the first Mandalorian ships entered the space that Revan's ships had occupied, they exploded. Unable to break off their course, the remainder of the Mandalorian survivors also ran head first into the minefield. As the last Mandalorian ship span out of control from a hull breach before exploding, the damaged or incomplete ships cruised into the shipyards.

Revan's timely arrival and victory would once again be broadcast across the Holonet, followed an hour later by the reports of Vice Admiral Gelendra's victory at Bespin.

**Coruscant, 289ATGS**

The Jedi High Council sat around the Council Chambers in the Jedi Temple. For the first time since the events, they were discussing the Surik's and their departure from the Order. While the rest of the Council discussed it, Vima Sunrider merely sat in thought not speaking a word.

"They should be exiled from the Order for their actions," Atris stated.

"We can't exile them. Revan is a strategist, I'm sure he planned this. They willing left the Order and as a result we cannot exile them from something they are no longer a part of," Zez-Kai Ell pointed out.

"Well we need to punish them in some way," Atris argued.

"And what do you propose? Any action we take has the potential to cause more Jedi to join them. Already there are rumours that their old friend Alek may join them," Lonna Vash retaliated.

"I fail to see the significance," Dorjandor Kace murmured.

Before any of the others could answer, Vima Sunrider spoke up.

"The Suriks and Alek were seen as great Jedi by many. Even we agreed that they were meant for great things. A great deal of the younger Jedi idolised them and many of them still do. The Suriks' departure was bad enough; it caused a great deal of doubt among those who idolised them. If the last one of the trio leaves, a number of younger Jedi are likely to follow," the Grand Master explained.

"There is also the fact that we don't need a fourteenth Lost Knight within a couple of years of the twelfth and thirteenth," Kavar commented.

The other Council members nodded in agreement.

"Speaking of which, I have a task which may suit Alek well. A slave ring on Alderaan that killed the Jedi sent to negotiate. Alek could probably deal with them," Vrook Lamar pointed out.

"Perhaps now would be a good time to assign him a padawan? He has expressed an interest in training an apprentice. This could be the time for him to receive a padawan," Vash suggested.

"Yes. That is a good idea. Did you have anyone in mind?" Sunrider asked.

"As a matter of fact, I do; a boy by the name of Bandon Fortak. Much like Alek at that age, he is full of anger and hatred. I feel that Alek could help him overcome them," Vash explained.

"You raise a valid point. All in favour of Alek receiving an apprentice?" Sunrider asked, looking around.

As all the other members signalled their agreement, the Grand Master nodded once.

"Then we are agreed. Alek and Fortak will travel to Alderaan to deal with the slave ring," Vima concluded.


	13. Chapter 13

**Still bored.**

_**Valiant**_**, 290ATGS**

Fleet Admiral Dodonna, Admiral Revan Surik, Vice Admiral Kaylee Gelendra, Rear Admiral Meetra Surik and Captain Rana Zathera Surik stood around the holotable of the _Valiant_, the hologram of the Japrael System before them. The other high-ranking officers involved were present as holograms.

"This confrontation could turn the tide of the war, ladies and gentlemen. Never before have we had the opportunity to strike at the Japrael System, and with good reason. This is the Mandalorians' headquarters in the Inner Rim and they have made that obvious. As you can see, almost one thousand Mandalorian vessels are currently in the system and believe it or not, there's usually more these days," Dodonna stated.

A lot of the officers grumbled in concern.

"Thankfully, we have been able to assemble this force," Dodonna continued.

"Wait, you mean we're all here for this one battle?" one of the Rear Admirals exclaimed.

"Indeed. Short of striking at Mandalorian home space, this is the biggest operation the Republic is likely to run against the Mandalorians. So listen up, ladies and gentlemen, because I'm only saying it once. For this operation, we'll be divided into three fleets. First Fleet will be with me and will be the main force. Our priority is the ships scattered around the system. Second Fleet will be with Admiral Surik and will be concentrating on Dxun. Third Fleet will be under Vice Admiral Gelendra and will be retaking Onderon. I'll send you all messages concerning your assignments. Any questions?" Dodonna asked.

All the officers remained silent.

"Good. Good luck and may the Force be with us," Dodonna stated in farewell before the holograms vanished.

Dodonna turned to her fellows in the room with her. Revan stood directly to her right, arms crossed across his armoured chest and face covered by the almost-demonic mask. Leaning against the wall behind him stood his apprentice and daughter, the twi'lek Rana Zathera Surik; still looking as she had when she had been captured except that she looked older. To Revan's right was Vice Admiral Kaylee Gelendra, her distinctive red skin and navy blue hair marking her as a zeltron. To Dodonna's left was Rear Admiral Surik, dressed as ever in her black and grey robes.

"As you know, the First Fleet will be the largest. The one and a half thousand vessels should be sufficient to deal with the Mandalorian fleet. Second Fleet will be almost a thousand ships to deal with Dxun. Third Fleet will be seven hundred and fifty ships given that Onderon is lightly defended by the Mandalorians but I want it taken quickly. Dxun is likely to be the roughest fighting so as soon as you have Onderon, you're to move to reinforce Surik's forces at Dxun, understood, Vice Admiral?" Dodonna asked the younger woman.

"Perfectly, ma'am. If you'll excuse me, I'd like to return to the _Remembrance_," Gelendra said.

After the Vice Admiral left the room, Dodonna turned to the siblings.

"Rear Admiral, I'm assigning you to the Second Fleet. I know neither of you wanted to work together directly but, in this case, I feel it is for the best. If our reports are accurate, Dxun will be tough. I want all three of you there to aid on the ground," Dodonna informed them, looking at Rana as well.

"Understood, ma'am. You can count on us," Revan stated, saluting.

"Good. Dismissed," Dodonna told them.

Within an hour, the entire force was ready. The fleet at Commenor watched as almost three thousand two hundred and fifty warships flickered with pseudomotion before disappearing.

**Japrael System, 290ATGS**

As the Republic First Fleet left hyperspace at the edge of the Japrael System, the Mandalorian fleet in the system started toward them. As they advanced, leaving the orbits of Onderon and Dxun, the Third Fleet emerged from hyperspace above Onderon while the Second Fleet arrived above Dxun. The guns of the Second and Third Fleets opened fire, tearing into the back of the Mandalorian ships. Due to the arrival of the First Fleet, the Mandalorians had redirected their shields only to the front before the arrival of the other two fleets. Dozens of Mandalorian ships fell to the first salvo from the Second and Third Fleets.

As parts of the Mandalorian fleet turned back to face the Republic ships that had replaced them in orbit of Onderon and Dxun, the First Fleet entered firing range. The combined firepower of all three fleets, coming at the Mandalorians from two sides, ripped apart dozens of Mandalorian ships in moments. Tens of thousands of lasers and missiles tore across space from the Republic ships and into the Mandalorian ones, accompanied by almost twenty thousand fighters, bombers and gunships.

The sheer volume of firepower reduced the Mandalorian fleet to half strength in minutes. As the First Fleet moved in to deal with the remaining ships, the Third Fleet began to launch their forces down to Onderon. As expected, anti-air was minimal due to the Mandalorians minimal presence on the planet.

However, thousands of bombers left the Second Fleet ahead of the dropships. The bombers raced toward the forest moon below, swerving and twisting past Mandalorian fighters, gunships and basilisks clashing with Republic gunships and fighters. As they neared the surface, Mandalorian AA fire started to fill the air around them. Although a dozens of bombers were shot down, thousands more made it into range. As they raced along a few hundred metres above the surface, they began dropping their payloads on the Mandalorian AA guns.

As the dropships began to enter the atmosphere, hundreds of Mandalorian cannons exploded, clearing the air ahead of them. Both Rana and Meetra stood in dropships as they headed toward the moon, albeit different ones. Revan was staying with the fleet until orbital superiority was assured.

The moment her dropship landed, Rana was off. Activating her lightsaber and her lightwhip, she raced toward the nearest Mandalorians. Using the Force, she leapt onto a massive fallen tree before launching herself off with a cry. As she flew through the air, her lightwhip lashed out, slashing an unfortunate Mandalorian across the chest. Landing, she let out a slight chuckle as she leapt into battle.

Across the battlefield, Meetra activated her double-sided lightsaber before racing off to engage the Mandalorians. As she approached a squad of Mandalorians, they turned and opened fire. Without breaking stride, she vaulted over a fallen tree as her saber spun in front of her. Red blaster bolts ricocheted off the spinning wall of silver and into the forest as she raced forward. Twirling her saber, she decapitated two of the Mandalorians before cutting another in half at the waist.

The two Grey Jedi danced among the Mandalorians on opposite sides of the battlefield, tearing through the Mandalorian lines. In orbit, Revan's ships continued to resupply bombers, fighters and gunships as well as shoot down any vessel attempting to flee the moon. The _Bladerunner_ sat directly above the battle, drifting in orbit as she kept an eye on the battle. Out in the rest of the system, the First Fleet was mopping up the remnants of the Mandalorian fleet. The Third Fleet was currently orbiting Onderon as Republic soldiers and Onderon rebels clashed with Mandalorians on the surface.

"Sir, we're receiving reports of Mandalorian fortifications here. Our forces are requesting assistance," one of the officers at the table shouted.

"Understood. Tell our forces to stand back. Prepare to fire a volley at the target," Revan ordered.

Moments later, lasers from the _Bladerunner_ ripped through the fortification. The Republic soldiers let out a cheer before they advanced through the debris. Revan turned toward the door.

"I'm going down. You know what to do," Revan stated as he left.

Having noticed his sister and his apprentice coming toward the Mandalorians from two different directions, Revan decided to come from another. As he climbed into a dropship, he directed the pilot along a flight path that would take them over the back of the Mandalorian lines before reaching the landing zone. As the dropship passed over the area in question, Revan opened the doors and swan-dived out.

As he fell, he noticed a company of Mandalorians below him. When he was roughly thirty metres above the ground, he flipped over. Landing in a crouch ahead of the Mandalorians, his fist impacted the ground in front of him. From the point where his fist made contact, the ground seemed to ripple for a moment. A second later, a massive shockwave erupted from the point, sending everything within a hundred metres of Revan flying. Every one of the Mandalorians was sent soaring through the air as every tree within a hundred metres was uprooted and launched away as well.

Standing up, Revan took a look around the clearing he had created. Smirking slightly at the devastation, he raced off into the forest, using the Force to increase his speed. Within moments he reached the back of the Mandalorian lines.

Activating his lightsabers, he didn't break stride as he spun the two blades around himself. Before the Mandalorians even realised he was there, twenty of them started to fall toward the ground. Revan stopped running as he stood among them, sabers whirling. As he danced between them, dozens of Mandalorians fell to the twirling blades.

The arrival of Revan Surik inspired the Republic soldiers further than ever. The presence of three Force users on the battlefield gave the Republic soldiers an incredible morale boost. Wherever the fighting was toughest, they were there. They danced among the blaster bolts and vibroblades, tearing through the Mandalorians with ease. Be it the red whip and blade of Rana Zathera, the red and purple blades of Revan Surik or the double-bladed white of Meetra Surik, they swept almost any Mandalorian opposition aside in moments.

Due to the entrenched nature of the Mandalorians, the Republic was hard-pressed to gain ground, even with the three Grey Jedi. The arrival of the ground forces of the First Fleet after the second hour of fighting proved extremely valuable, as did the arrival of the Third Fleet's an hour later. Even with the reinforcements from Dodonna and Gelendra, the battle still took almost seven hours. Seven hours of non-stop fighting and the three Grey Jedi in the thick of it the whole time. Only when Meetra decapitated the last Mandalorian did the three Force users sit down and rest.

_**Valiant**_**, 290ATGS**

Dodonna looked out at the Japrael system from her place on the bridge. Of the original fleet numbering almost three thousand two hundred and fifty, almost a thousand would never leave the system under their own power, almost three hundred needed extensive repairs and over a thousand others would need minor repairs.

On the ground, the losses were astronomical. Over a hundred thousand soldiers in total had been deployed to the moon of Dxun alone. Out of those, almost fifty thousand were KIA, roughly twenty five thousand were WIA and one thousand were MIA. Of the ten thousand deployed to Onderon, about two thousand were KIA, three thousand were WIA and one hundred were MIA.

The biggest casualties sustained by the Republic in the course of this war in any single battle. More men and women had lost their lives here than in the last month combined. Dodonna was thankful that the Suriks had been present otherwise the losses would have certainly been higher.

Speaking of the Suriks, the _Bladerunner_ was attempting to contact the Fleet Admiral. Once Dodonna accepted the call, Revan Surik's hologram appeared before her.

"Fleet Admiral. I was told you wanted to speak to me?" Revan asked, after saluting.

"Indeed. For one, have you seen the casualty reports?" Dodonna asked him.

"Yes, I did. I have to admit, cruel though this may sound, it could have been a lot worse," Revan remarked.

"I agree. I believe we can attribute that to the presence of yourself, your sister and your daughter. Without you, I think the losses would have been far worse," Dodonna pointed out.

"Thank you for the complement, ma'am. However, I assume you didn't ask to speak to me just to complement me," Revan said.

"Indeed. I want to speak with you in private on the _Valiant_. Can you meet me in my office in five minutes?" Dodonna asked him.

"Of course, Fleet Admiral. I'll be right there," Revan stated before his hologram vanished.

When he entered her office five minutes later, he found her standing by the window looking at the Republic ships floating in space. As he walked in, she turned to him and nodded at him.

"Admiral Surik, I wanted to speak with you about the True Sith Empire. I was thinking about it the other day. What do we actually know about it?" Dodonna asked, sitting down behind her desk.

"Very little. We know nothing about its size or location except that its capital is called Dromund Kaas. We know little of their military strength except for the fact that they're not strong enough to challenge the Republic yet. There are hundreds, possibly thousands, of Force users among them, including the Emperor. The Emperor is allegedly immortal and is the most powerful being in the Empire. I would guess that Imperial territory is closest to the Republic around maybe grid coordinates F-7. If that is accurate, then Dromund Kaas would be somewhere around C-10," Revan explained, leaning against the wall and crossing his arm.

"I don't like having so little intelligence about a future enemy, Surik. We need to find out more about them and soon. We can't go to war with an enemy we don't know," Dodonna groaned.

"I agree. I think we should deal with the Mandalorians and then try and find out more," Revan suggested.

"My thoughts exactly. We'll just need to find a way of keeping it quiet. No one else knows about this except for the former Sith. Not even High Command knows. We need to keep that in mind when we investigate," Dodonna pointed out.

"First we need to win this war. Then we can work out what we do about them," Revan said.

"Right. If you find anything new, let me know. We need all the information we can get," Dodonna stated.

"Quite. If you'll excuse me, ma'am, I should return to the _Bladerunner_," Revan informed her, pushing off the wall.

"All right. I'll speak to you again once I have new orders for you," Dodonna informed him.

Revan snapped to attention and saluted before leaving. Dodonna spun her chair round to face the window and looked out at the Japrael System. She looked at the Republic vessels and wondered if the Sith Empire was something they would be able to beat.


	14. Chapter 14

**Still bored.**

**Dxun, 290ATGS**

"I bloody hate this place!" Revan shouted as he stormed into the command centre.

Everyone else in the room nodded their heads in agreement. After the initial battle four months ago, the Republic had thought they had dealt with the Mandalorians and left. Revan had been forced to return a few days later because Mandalorians had been found on Dxun. Since then, Revan had been leading the Republic forces against scattered, but no less dangerous, Mandalorian forces. Meetra was on the other side of the moon, leading the forces there, while Rana was at Endor, training.

Revan bent over the holotable in the middle of the room while various officers rushed around the command centre. A private ran up to the table and saluted him.

"Sir, we believe we've found their newest base."

"Finally. Show me," Revan ordered.

The soldier tapped a few keys on one of the keyboards around the side of the table. The image of Dxun zoomed in on an area on the other side of the moon before highlighting one area in particular.

"Good work, ladies and gentlemen. Get this data to the Rear Admiral's forces and organise some bombers to soften the place up. Taking out that base is our top priority; they're to get priority on air support, ground vehicles and whatever else they need," Revan commanded as he leaned in closer.

With a series of acknowledgements, the command centre became even more hectic as the officers present liaised with their counterparts on the other side of the moon.

Across the moon, Meetra ducked under the cannon fire from a basilisk, casually flicking her lightsaber to decapitate a Mandalorian. Reaching out with the Force, she launched a nearby tree trunk at the basilisk, crushing it against another tree.

With that dealt with, Meetra paused to pull her comm. from her belt.

"Rear Admiral Surik here. What is it?" Meetra demanded.

"Ma'am, transmission just came through from Alpha Base. They have located the Mandalorians' most recent base of operations. Admiral Surik wants you to take a force to deal with it," the officer on the other end reported.

"Thank you, Private Vasra. I'll be at Beta Base momentarily to lead the force. Rear Admiral Surik, out," Meetra told him before putting her comm. link back on her belt.

Within the hour, Meetra and her forces were approaching the base of the Mandalorians. The three hundred strong force snuck through the woods, weaving among the trees as they moved toward their target. Meetra was in the lead, ducking under branches and climbing over fallen tree trunks. As she approached, she signalled the bombers to attack.

A moment later, two squadrons of bombers raced across the sky before dropping a hailstorm of fire onto the Mandalorians. As the remaining Mandalorians scrambled to put out the fires, the Republic soldiers struck. Blaster fire and rockets sailed from amongst the trees, killing dozens of Mandalorians. Meetra raced out of the forest and toward the Mandalorians, white lightsaber spinning around her.

As the Republic soldiers advanced through the bunker, Meetra raced down a corridor, sending blaster bolts sailing back at the Mandalorians. With a flick of her wrist, a trio of nearby crates soared down the corridor toward the defenders, buying her the seconds she needed to reach them. Moments later, she flicked her saber to decapitate the final Mandalorian.

Opening a nearby door, she found herself faced with a Mandalorian boy, no older than ten. Meetra deactivated both blades of her lightsaber and stepped forward.

"Come with me. Let's get you somewhere safe," Meetra told him.

She turned to step out of the room. The warning of the Force caused her to bring her lightsaber up over her head and then down parallel to her spine. The blaster bolt impacted the blade and bounced back to the source. When Meetra turned, the boy lay on the ground, blaster wound in the middle of his forehead and smoking blaster lying by his right hand.

"Of course. A Mandalorian child, what was I thinking?" Meetra sighed in remorse.

Shaking her head slightly, Meetra continued on her way.

_**Valiant**_**, 290ATGS**

"And you're sure that they're all gone this time?" Dodonna remarked with a raised eyebrow.

The Fleet Admiral was sat behind her desk, facing a small hologram of Revan Surik on the desk.

"Yes, ma'am, pretty sure. If there are any left, I'm just going to blast the bloody thing from orbit," Revan grunted, arms crossed across his armoured chest.

"Well then, hopefully that won't be necessary, Admiral. Now, you're orders are to return to Coruscant and oversee Third Division's operations from there whilst myself and Admiral Deson attend to matters in the field. Consider it a vacation," Dodonna commented.

"Understood, ma'am. I'll return to Coruscant immediately and return all other ships to their previous locations unless they have other orders. I've sent the _Stormbreaker_ to rendezvous with you again," Revan said.

"Good work, Admiral. Notify me of any new developments that require my attention," Dodonna ordered.

Revan nodded his masked head once.

"That will be all," Dodonna stated in dismissal.

Revan saluted before his hologram vanished. Dodonna turned toward the window to think.

With the retaking of Dxun, the Republic had deprived the Mandalorians of their stronghold in the Inner Rim. Without Dxun, their major systems were all located on the Outer Rim, mainly in and around Mandalorian home space. As the Republic was able to push the Mandalorians back with greater frequency, few Mandalorian worlds would be taken because their forces would be concentrated at those worlds.

As Dodonna contemplated the war, a plan began forming in her head. Turning back to her desk, she checked all maps of the galaxy available to her, including older ones. Finding what she was after, Dodonna allowed herself a moment of triumph. Displayed before her was a map showing to hyperspace lanes that ran almost perpendicular to each other and met at Mandalore.

One of them ran from Yavin to Alderaan while the other went from Dantooine to Kashyyyk. Dodonna examined the hyperspace lanes and smirked slightly as she realised her plan could work better than she could have hoped. This could be the blow that brings the Mandalorians down, it was just a matter of getting the green light.


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Note: Hello, people that are still reading this. I'm getting a few complaints that this is plot-driven as opposed to character-driven. I'm sorry but that is how I write. I don't care about my characters as long as I get the plot done. Let people interpret the characters how they want and see if they do anything to change my plans (can happen). So stop complaining or go read something else. Mini-rant over, on with the story (and a major time skip). Keep in mind, bold in the between quotation marks is Mandalorian.**

_**Bladerunner**_**, 292ATGS**

Admiral Revan Surik stood in front of the holograms of Fleet Admiral Forn Dodonna as well as Admirals Kaylee Gelendra and Preston Cole. Admiral Cole was currently sitting in orbit of Obroa-Skai, Fleet Admiral Dodonna was at Contruum, Admiral Gelendra was at Yavin and Revan was at Dathomir.

"So you understand the plan, Admirals?" Dodonna asked.

"I believe so, ma'am. Admiral Surik's fleet will engage the Mandalorians first. During the battle, your fleet as well as mine will jump into the system to join the battle from the Mandalorians' flanks. Then, Admiral Gelendra will bring her fleet in behind the Mandalorians to begin landing ground forces," Admiral Cole stated.

Admiral Cole was one of the two Admirals in the Second Naval Division. For the upcoming operation, he had been assigned to Dodonna's command temporarily.

"Precisely, Admiral Cole. The tactics you employ on the battlefield are up to you, just stick to the basic outline," Dodonna ordered.

The three Admirals nodded their agreement.

"This is it, Admirals. This plan has been considered for two years now. It is time to make it a reality and make the Mandalorian Wars history. Good luck and may the Force be with us," Dodonna stated.

The four soldiers exchanged salutes before the holograms vanished. Revan turned and walked out of the comm. room and toward the bridge.

"All ships, prepare for hyperspace. Lock destination, ready weapons and activate shields," Revan ordered as he walked onto the bridge.

The fleet, consisting of almost two thousand vessels, had been amassed with great difficulty and great risk. One of the four equally sized fleets, they were among the largest fleets the Republic had amassed in their history. As the individual battlegroups reported in, Revan stared out at the void. As soon as the last battlegroup had reported in Revan gave the order for the fleet to depart.

**Mandalore System, 292ATGS**

In recent years, despite the initial victories, the Mandalorians had been driven back. The Republic's Third Naval Division in particular had become problematic, under the command of Fleet Admiral Dodonna and Admirals Surik and Deson. After the death of Admiral Deson the year before at Saleucami, Admiral Gelendra had taken his place and had caused even more problems. The three of them, plus Admiral Cole of the Second Naval Division, were the main reason the Mandalorians had lost as much ground as they had. However, at this point, for every system the Republic took, the Mandalorians took one too.

This system, however, would not fall. With a fleet of almost ten thousand warships under the direct command of Te Ani'la Mand'alor (or Mandalore the Ultimate in Basic), the Mandalore system was the heart of Mandalorian territory and their greatest fortress. Their new flagship, while not as large as the _Beviin be Mand'alor_, was still a formidable four kilometres long. The _A'den be Manda'yaim _(in Basic, the _Rage of Mandalore_) had become Mandalore the Ultimate's flagship after its completion and would defend the planet it was named for until it couldn't fight at all.

Mandalore stood upon the bridge of the _A'den be Manda'yaim_ observing the system and considering his course of action. As he watched, two thousand Republic warships dropped out of hyperspace in front of him. A Mandalorian turned from his station to face him.

"Mand'alor, **the lead vessel, it's the **_Bladerunner_," the soldier shouted.

"Revan Surik," Mandalore the Ultimate snarled.

Revan's fleet opened fire moments after arriving in the system. As the vastly outnumbered Republic fleet exchanged fire with the Mandalorian fleet, ships on both sides went up in flames. Despite the best efforts of the Republic fleet, the Mandalorians took far less losses than them. Only the arrival of Dodonna and Cole after a minute of fighting saved Revan's fleet from getting slaughtered. The sudden fire from two thousand ships on either side of them caught the Mandalorians off guard. In their urgency to destroy Revan, almost every Mandalorian vessel had approached them, allowing the newly-arrived Republic ships to tear them apart in a crossfire.

As the two sides continued to fire on each other, half of Gelendra's fleet appeared behind the Mandalorians, having dropped off their soldiers on Mandalore and raced around the planet to catch the Mandalorians from behind. Under fire from all sides, the Mandalorians found themselves struggling despite their superior numbers.

As they continued to clash, Revan watched as the _A'den be Manda'yaim_ tore a frigate to pieces in a single volley. Issuing a few orders, Revan turned to leave the bridge. With both Meetra and Rana on the planet, Revan was not overly concerned about them at that point. They would watch out for each other as much as they could. However, with the _A'den be Manda'yaim_ continuing to hammer away at the Republic ships from the heart of the Mandalorian formation, the Republic would be hard-pressed to win. Added to that the fact that, according to intercepted communications, Mand'alor himself was apparently onboard, Revan was taking matters into his own hands.

In less than two minutes, Revan's personal starfighter raced out of one of the hangars on _Bladerunner_. Trusting in the Force, Revan raced toward the _A'den_, swinging around Mandalorian capital ships and twisting past enemy fire. As he approached, he loosed a few blaster bolts at the _A'den_, temporarily eliminating the barrier on one of the hangars. Before the barrier could reappear, Revan's fighter crashed onto the hangar floor and skittered across the hangar, crushing a couple of Mandalorians as it went.

A squad of Mandalorians approached the ship, weapons ready. As they got closer, they realised the cockpit was smashed and there was no sign of the occupant. As the Mandalorians looked around in confusion, none of them noticed the fact that there was something drifting into the hangar from outside. Every Mandalorian in the room turned toward the hangar doors when they heard the distinctive snap-hiss of a pair of activating lightsabers.

With his back to the void and his head bowed, stood Revan. His violet blade sat in his right hand, held out to his right at a forty-five degree angle to the ground, while the crimson blade rested in his left, held out to the other side in the same manner. With his black robes, he was almost invisible with the void of space behind him. Slowly he raised his head, revealing the cold, unchanging features of the black and red mask.

As the Mandalorians opened fire, Revan didn't move. The blaster bolts tore right through him and still Revan didn't move. Then the Mandalorians turned at the sound of a lightsaber cutting through armour and flesh only to find Revan standing over the corpse of one of their number. Under the mask, Revan smirked in sinister delight that they had fallen for the illusion.

As he leapt into action, the Mandalorians opened fire once more. As Revan danced around the hangar, blaster bolts covered the large room, deflected by the spinning lightsabers or erupting from the blasters of the Mandalorians. Within minutes, Revan had emptied the hangar of all living beings bar himself. With a chuckle and a slight shake of his head, Revan strode out of the hangar.

As Mandalorian warships traded fire with their Republic counterparts and Mandalorian soldiers clashed with Republic soldiers and two Grey Jedi on the planet, a single man tore his way through the Mandalorian flagship. With the closest hangar to bridge being almost a kilometre away and almost thirty decks down, Revan had a lot of ground to cover. Irrelevant of how many Mandalorians stood in his way, Revan ripped through them and continued on his path toward the bridge.

After almost an hour of fighting, Revan reached the doors to bridge. Stepping through, he found himself standing opposite Mand'alor on an empty bridge. The two combatants observed each other in silence until Mand'alor spoke.

"You presume to challenge me, I take it, Revan Surik?" Mand'alor sneered in accented Basic.

"I would challenge you for the position of Mand'alor, if I must," Revan answered after a moment.

"Hah! None but a Mandalorian may take the title of Mand'alor," Mand'alor barked.

"**I am Mandalorian. I may use my mother's name but that does not mean I am not Mandalorian**," Revan retorted.

"**Really? What is your true name then?**" Mand'alor asked, truly curious and surprised at the revelation.

"**I am Revan of Clan Vizsla, son of Kal of Clan Vizsla and Nera Surik,**" Revan stated.

"**Is that so? And why did you not answer my call, as you are obliged to by the Six Actions?**" Mand'alor retorted.

"**For one, I disagreed with what you were doing. I cannot fight for something I don't believe in. Also, unless I am much mistaken, you wanted good battles. I have given them to you. I have bested you but I have always given the Mandalorians a good fight,**" Revan pointed out.

"**That you have. And what? You intend to crush us?**" Mand'alor asked, surprisingly calm at the idea.

"**On the contrary, I intend to rebuild the Clans. I intend to have the aid of the Clans against my true enemy,**" Revan explained.

"**I shall never aid you!**" Mand'alor growled.

"**In that case, I challenge you to a duel. The last one standing shall be Mand'alor. Close quarters combat only, no projectile weapons or Force powers. Agreed?**" Revan asked, drawing his violet blade.

"**Agreed,**" Mand'alor stated, tossing his blasters aside and drawing a pair of vibroblades from his back after removing his cloak.

Revan discarded his cloak before activating his two lightsabers and both fighters fell into their opening stances. After a moment, both charged each other. They met in the middle, two lightsabers meeting two vibroblades in a shower of sparks. The two duellists pushed apart before colliding once more. Their blades swung in all directions, slashing, jabbing and parrying in a single moment.

The two combatants danced across the bridge, sparks flying everywhere as their blades met each other or slashed their surroundings. After a time, Mand'alor managed to send Revan's crimson blade flying across the bridge. However, that gave Revan the opportunity to send a kick at Mand'alor's left hand, causing him to drop the blade, which Revan kicked away.

The two stepped apart for a moment, panting.

"**You fight well, Revan Vizsla,**" Mand'alor commented.

"**I would say the same of you but it would be stating the obvious,**" Revan remarked, eliciting a chuckle from Mand'alor.

Mand'alor charged forward, swinging his blade at Revan. Revan parried the blow and swung at Mand'alor's neck. The older man brought his blade into the path of Revan's swing, stopping it short. Revan brought his blade back and swung it at Mand'alor's other side. The warrior once more blocked the swing before countering. Revan caught the vibroblade on his lightsaber before flicking his wrist, sending both blades flying.

The two once more staggered apart. Despite the other being unable to see it, both were smirking under their helmets. In unison, both extended the blades in their vambraces. The 5-inch silver blades were made of Mandalorian iron and had gold coloured, serrated edges. The two leapt at each once more, swinging at each other. The two continued to swing at one another, blades often just missing their target or being deflected.

For nearly ten minutes, the two fought each other. Eventually, Mand'alor slipped up.

As he swung at Revan from both sides at once, Revan lifted his arms and caught Mand'alor's attack on his forearms. Revan brought his leg up, kicking Mand'alor in the chest. Mand'alor staggered back, stunned. Revan darted forward, spun to the side to dodge Mand'alor's jab and sank his left arm blade into Mand'alor's stomach. The force of the blow caused Mand'alor to partially double over. Revan jabbed forward with his right arm, sinking that blade into Te Ani'la Mand'alor's stomach as well. With a grunt, Revan pulled the blades out whilst also kicking Mand'alor back.

Mand'alor staggered back into a wall, which he slid down. Now seated, Mand'alor leaned back against the wall as he sheathed the blades. Revan did the same before moving to sit down against a console opposite the dying Mand'alor.

"**Well, I guess that's it. You have proven yourself worthy, Vizsla,**" Mand'alor said quietly in between coughs.

"**Yes, well, that is the least of my worries. Now I just need to get the Clans to fall in line,**" Revan commented, just as quietly.

Mand'alor chuckled slightly before he started coughing again.

"**That won't be an issue. The clan leaders were watching. They will have heard our conversation at the beginning,**" Mand'alor explained after he recovered from his coughing fit.

"**Well then, I guess that does solve that. However, I have one more question,**" Revan stated.

"**Get a move on, kid, I ain't gonna last much longer,**" Mand'alor said, punctuating it by coughing again.

"**Can you tell me anything about the True Sith Empire?**" Revan asked.

"**Yeah. Go to Ziost. You will find answers to some of your questions there. I know nothing else,**" Mand'alor told his successor.

"**Thank you, Te Ani'la Mand'alor. It has been an honour,**" Revan told the older man.

"**Indeed it has. May you continue to find glory in battle,**" Mand'alor said.

"**May you join our predecessors on the endless battleground of the afterlife,**" Revan responded.

Mand'alor nodded once before becoming still. Revan remained seated for another moment before rising. Removing his mask, he placed on a nearby console before kneeling down by Mandalore the Ultimate's body. Carefully, he removed Mandalore's Mask from the dead warrior. Rising, he walked to the centre of the bridge. Lifting the Mask, he held it before him as he spoke.

"**I have bested Te Ani'la Mand'alor in single combat. Hence, as is my right as his defeater and as a Mandalorian, I claim Mandalore's Mask for myself. I am Te Gra'tuala Mand'alor and I will have our kind avenged against those who have manipulated us,**" the newly named Mandalore the Avenger claimed as he placed the Mask on his head.

Revan walked to a damaged station and activated a system wide comm. line.

"**This is Te Gra'tuala Mand'alor to all Mandalorian forces in the system. Stand down. I repeat, stand down. **All Republic forces, this is Mandalore the Avenger. I am calling for a cease-fire. I repeat, I want a cease fire," Revan said.

Immediately, every Mandalorian ships stopped shooting, followed by the Republic ships a moment later. An indicator flashed, notifying Revan of an incoming communication. Accepting the call, an image of Fleet Admiral Forn Dodonna appeared on the screen.

"Mandalore the Avenger, this is Fleet Admiral Dodonna. I'm listening," Dodonna stated coldly.

"Fleet Admiral. As you may have guessed, I've bested Mandalore the Ultimate. And now, I am Mandalore the Avenger. Although, I suppose you can call me Revan Surik Vizsla," Revan commented.

"Wait, Admiral Surik?" Dodonna asked, shocked.

"Yes, ma'am, although at this time it might be better to refer to me as Vizsla," Revan responded.

"You're going to have to explain this to me later. For now, spread the order across the galaxy," Dodonna ordered.

"I was just about to, Fleet Admiral. Mandalore the Avenger, out."


	16. Chapter 16

**Author's Note: Hello there. Sorry about the wait and I hate to say it but it would probably have been longer. However, I'm super excited right now. Announced at E3 (or is it in preparation for E3? I don't know) was something that has made my decade. Star Wars Battlefront 3 is coming, ladies and gentlemen. I'm looking forward to it. The original as well as the second were beyond good and if you disagree then you're a fucking idiot. Or you could just not be a fan of Star Wars in which case why the fuck are you reading this? Anyway, on to the story…**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Halo or its starships. They just asked to be here.**

**294ATGS**

In the two and a half years since the conclusion of the Mandalorian Wars, the galaxy had changed. The Mandalorians had all but vanished from the galaxy at large except for Mandalore the Avenger (more commonly referred to in the Republic as Admiral Revan Surik Vizsla), who had stayed with the Republic while overseeing the reconstruction of the Clans. The Republic too was rebuilding, recovering from the devastating war against the Mandalorians.

After two years, Mandalore the Avenger had stepped down to focus on his duties with the Republic and "to prepare everyone else". Canderous Ordo, who had taken the title of Mandalore the Redeemer (Te Ordi'kaas Mand'alor in Mandalorian), had replaced him, promising to restore the Mandalorians to their former glory. He, with the agreement of the Council of Clan Lords, had given Revan a place on the Council of Clan Lords as well as swearing an oath on behalf of the Clans to aid the Republic in times of war. Even now, the only people that the Mandalorians spoke to willingly were the Suriks, Admiral Gelendra, Admiral Cole and Fleet Admiral Dodonna because they were the only Republic officials the Clans respected.

The Republic had advanced warship-wise during the years. The Mandalorian Wars had demonstrated to the Republic that their battleships were not capable of warfare as opposed to peacekeeping. Hence, new vessels had been designed to replace the older Republic ships.

The _Hammerhead_-class cruiser had been the first to begin to be replaced. Their replacements were the _Marathon_-class cruisers, 1,192 metres of armour and guns interspersed with the occasional hangar. Their greatest strength was their spinal guns, a pair of Magnetic Accelerator Cannons each capable of launching a 600-ton tungsten slug at roughly 30,000 ms-1 every minute. They were not pretty to look at, looking like large grey boxes with Republic red highlights, but they had proven their worth when a single _Marathon_ had defeated a small pirate fleet that would have required at least three _Hammerhead_s to defeat.

The success of the _Marathon_-class had resulted in the Republic's shipyards being given the green light to construct similar ships of other classes. The result was the introduction of the _Gorgon_-class frigate to replace the _Praetorian_. Their appearance from above resembled an isosceles triangle stuck onto a rectangle, with the armour slanted as it approached the prow. As with the _Marathon_-class, two Magnetic Accelerator Cannons were mounted on the bow of the 535 metre vessels. Just like the _Marathon_s, they soon proved themselves superior to their predecessors.

The _Foray_-class blockade runners were to be replaced with the _Charon_-class blockade runner. At 198 metres, the _Charon_s were slightly larger than their predecessor's 183m and far more dangerous. Continuing the trend with these new vessels, the _Charon_s were grey with red highlights. They resembled three boxes stuck together, with two long thin ones sticking out of a significantly wider one, one on top of the other with a space in between. The upper one of the two protruding sections sported the ship's single Magnetic Accelerator Cannon. They had quickly proven themselves faster, tougher and more powerful than the _Foray_s they were being created to replace.

The new _Phoenix_-class carriers were a brand new class of vessel. Appearing from the front as a wide T-shape, they were 2,500 metres long and covered in nothing but hangars and point defence guns. They were designed to stay away from direct confrontation with other capital ships, instead storing dozens of starfighters, bombers, gunships and dropships. A single _Phoenix _ was capable of providing for an extended ground campaign, being able to deploy almost 5,000 soldiers and keep them all supplied for up to three months before needing to resupply. Like their fellows, they were blocky and coloured mainly dark grey with crimson markings.

A few other vessels were in the works as well but were not ready to be fielded yet. Not that anyone was complaining. Most commanders were more than happy with the four new classes being fielded. A number of high-ranking officers had been given new vessels from amongst those classifications, including Fleet Admiral Dodonna's new _Phoenix _-class carrier, _Remembrance_, and Rear Admiral Meetra Surik Vizsla's new _Marathon_-class cruiser, _Say My Name_.

**Dathomir, 294ATGS**

Revan stepped over another fallen tree, eyes surveying his surroundings from under his old mask. Rana followed a few steps behind him, hood pulled up over her head. For the last hour since landing on the planet, the two had wound their way through the forest, Rana following her master. When asked, all Revan would say to explain their presence was that they needed allies.

Revan stopped abruptly, causing Rana to almost collide with him. The man knelt down, examining something on the ground before him before rising once more.

"Remember, let me do the talking," Revan told her, looking over his shoulder at her.

Rana nodded. Revan looked forward again before continuing on his way, Rana once more following behind. As they continued, Rana began to make out what sounded like voices in the distance. The voices became louder and clearer as they walked, leading Rana to the conclusion that they were getting closer. After another couple of minutes walking, the pair stepped into a large clearing, where Revan stopped.

Standing in the clearing were a dozen women, dressed rather scantly in leather. Each of them looked shocked at the two strangers who had just stepped into the clearing, the clearing going completely silent. Revan's head turned slowly, obviously examining everything and everyone in the clearing. He took another step forward; bringing him into the edge of the circle the women had formed while Rana hung back.

"Greetings, Witches of Dathomir. I am Revan Surik Vizsla, Grey Jedi and Admiral of the Republic Navy. I am here to speak with this council," Revan began.

"We have no interest in what you have to say, _outsider_," one of the women spat, saying the last word as though it were an insult.

Around the circle, the other women nodded their agreement.

"You may have no interest in what I have to say but you _will_ listen to me. I am here to forge an alliance. War is coming, war the likes of which has never been seen before and will hopefully never be seen again. This war will burn worlds, destroy species and bring governments to their knees," Revan stated.

None of the women interrupted him, merely watching him in caution and curiosity.

"The True Sith Empire lurks in the dark corners of the galaxy. When it strikes, it will attempt to destroy everything that does not stand by it and enslave those that do. I aim to prevent that. I am forging alliances across the galaxy. The Empire must be destroyed else the entire galaxy shall suffer the consequences. Hence, I ask you, Clan Mothers, will you stand by us when the time comes?" Revan concluded, looking around the circle.

The Clan Mothers looked at each other before moving away and moving into a tight circle. From Revan and Rana's position, only mutters could be heard. After ten minutes, the Clan Mothers moved back to their previous positions.

"We have decided to aid you. However, there are conditions," one of the women stated.

Revan merely nodded his head in agreement.

**Dantooine, 294ATGS**

The ancient door opened for the first time in millennia, granting the two robed and hooded figures access. They stepped in, pausing at the sight of the three vertical prongs in the centre of the room.

"The first Star Map. Our journey begins," the slightly shorter figure breathed in awe.

His companion merely nodded, stepping forward. The three prongs separated, folding down toward the floor. Once they stopped, an incomplete hologram of the galaxy appeared. The taller figure began recording the data to a datapad before turning to leave.

"Soon, my apprentice, the Star Forge shall be ours," the tall figure stated.

"And then, none shall stand against the might of the Dark Lords of the Sith. All shall bow before Darth Malak and Darth Bandon," the shorter being claimed arrogantly.

Beneath their hoods, sulphuric eyes glinted with anger and hate.


End file.
